You ever see a guy’s face when he knows something the rest of the world hasn’t caught onto yet? Not smug. Not cocky. Just that quiet, locked-in look that says: Just wait. That was Pat Surtain II the moment someone mentioned Bo Nix. Not a twitch. No forced hype. Just one of the best corners in football, straight-up saying, ‘Yeah… he’s got it.’ And in that second, if you were paying attention, it felt like the Bo Nix era in Denver had officially begun.

Listen—when Pat Surtain II talks, you lean in. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler, a $96 million shutdown corner, and a top-3 player at his position right now. He doesn’t do fluff. So when he starts gassing up Bo Nix, you know something’s brewing.

“Yeah, it’s definitely about building off of the deal last year,” Surtain told DNVR’s Zac Stevens. “But obviously, going into the second year he is feeling more and more confident, even if he was confident as heck in his rookie year.” Translation? This ain’t just standard camp chatter. Surtain isn’t giving you the usual “he’s growing every day” filler. He’s making it clear: Bo’s already showing the kind of command that earns respect from the defense—and that matters.

“I’m very excited for what he is able to do for the offence,” Pat added.

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Let’s rewind. Bo Nix was the 12th overall pick, had the weight of a franchise on his shoulders, and still dropped 3,775 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, a 66.3% completion rate, and ran for another 430 yards and 4 scores. That’s not a rookie flailing. That’s a rookie balling.

No, it wasn’t flawless. But Broncos fans know what quarterback purgatory looks like—they’ve lived it. Since Peyton Manning retired, it’s been a rotating door of “maybe this guy.” But Nix? He feels different. Feels steady. Feels like someone who could actually run Sean Payton’s offense with intent.

The second half of 2024 proved that. His interception rate dropped by half. Time-to-throw came down. PFF bumped his grade from a rough 63.2 to a legit 74.5 down the stretch. That’s called trajectory. That’s called upside.

Inside the Broncos’ building, the feeling is clear: Bo Nix is starting to come into his own. But the national media? Still unsure.

PFF Throws Shade at Bo Nix in Preseason Rankings

Yeah, not everyone’s ready to jump on the Bo Nix bandwagon just yet. Last month’s PFF 2025 quarterback rankings placed Nix pretty low, at number 19. Yes, it’s better than last year when he was placed dead last. But what places him so low?

Analysts called out “limited upside,” “questionable arm strength,” and “inconsistent playmaking under pressure.” It’s a hard read when you’re a Broncos fan. After that rookie season? You’d expect this from rival fans, but analysts? It’s almost disrespectful.

Well, scepticism is understandable. Denver’s cycled through 12 starting quarterbacks since Peyton Manning hung it up in 2015. But Bo Nix? He’s already showing more promise than most of his predecessors. And last season? The guy posted the 6th-best completion percentage over expected (CPOE) on intermediate throws during the final five games of 2024.

Here’s something interesting that will clear the air on Bo’s potential. Heading into December, Bo Nix was genuinely neck-and-neck with Jayden Daniels—the league’s breakout QB darling—for Offensive Rookie of the Year. And when all was said and done?

Nix actually topped Daniels in nearly every major stat except three: completion percentage (69% to Nix’s 66.3%), QB rating (100.1 vs. 93.3), and picks (nine for Daniels, 12 for Nix). Not bad for a guy ranked 19th while Jayden sits at 6th.

So what explains the disrespect? Probably the fact that he hasn’t won those big games yet. Or maybe it’s because he doesn’t have those flashy highlight-reel plays that would shape the casuals’ narratives. But whatever the reason, the one thing that’s never changing? The Broncos aren’t letting the outside noise mess with their belief in their guy.

September’s closing in, and the Broncos fans have a lot to be optimistic about. And at the centre of that optimism? One a $96 million shutdown corner, the other a second-year quarterback with plenty more to prove.