Bo Nix’s second NFL season didn’t end the way the Denver Broncos hoped, but make no mistake - the organization is all-in on its young quarterback.
Despite suffering an ankle injury that sidelined him during the divisional round, Nix’s body of work over his first two seasons has clearly made an impression inside the building. General manager George Paton didn’t hold back during his end-of-season press conference, praising Nix not just for his win total, but for the intangibles that have made him a locker room cornerstone.
“I think you evaluate a quarterback by how much he wins. And there’s been no quarterback in his first two years to win more than Bo,” Paton said.
“He has that ‘it factor.’ I don’t think you can teach that.
Either you have it or you don’t. He’s best in the big moments.”
That’s strong backing from the top, and it speaks volumes about how the Broncos view Nix moving forward. The numbers might not jump off the page the way some of his peers' do, but Nix has shown the kind of poise and leadership that’s hard to quantify - and even harder to find.
Paton also made it clear that Nix’s presence is already influencing how the Broncos approach the offseason. When asked about free agency, he pointed to the quarterback position as a major draw for potential additions.
“Quarterback makes a big difference,” Paton said. “Players wanting to come to the quarterback.”
That’s not something you hear unless the front office truly believes they’ve found their guy. And in Nix, the Broncos seem convinced they have a player who not only wins games but makes Denver a more attractive destination for talent across the league.
As for the rest of the offense, Paton addressed a receiving corps that didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet this season. Still, he emphasized confidence in the group’s potential and left the door open for reinforcements.
“We’ll do a deep dive on this team, like we do every year, and we’ll determine our needs,” Paton said. “We’ll be aggressive filling those needs.
I like our young receivers. But we’re always looking to add - we’re always looking to add at every position.”
When pressed on whether the team should have made a move at wide receiver before the trade deadline, Paton stood firm.
“I don’t regret that,” he said. “We like our receiving group.
I don’t think our receiving group held us back. I don’t think that’s the reason we didn’t make the Super Bowl.”
That’s a telling comment. It suggests the Broncos believe their offensive ceiling is still higher than what we saw this year - and that the pieces are already in place to reach it, especially with a healthy Nix under center.
In the backfield, J.K. Dobbins drew praise from Paton despite a season that was cut short by a foot injury. The veteran running back has voiced his desire to return to Denver, and Paton confirmed the interest is mutual.
“J.K. Dobbins was a hit,” Paton said. “We’d like to have him back.”
It’s clear the Broncos view Dobbins as more than just a fill-in. His physicality and vision gave the run game a spark when healthy, and a reunion could provide much-needed continuity heading into next season.
So while the Broncos' playoff run ended earlier than they wanted, the message from the front office is clear: the foundation is there. With Bo Nix leading the way, and a front office ready to get aggressive in the offseason, Denver believes it’s closer than people think.