If you’re still sleeping on the Denver Broncos, it might be time to wake up.
While much of the national conversation continues to circle around the usual AFC powerhouses, there’s a growing buzz in the Mile High City - and it’s not just coming from Broncos Country. Former Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson - yes, that Chad Johnson - is all in on Denver after what he saw in their recent win over the Green Bay Packers.
And he’s not just talking playoffs. He’s talking Super Bowl.
“Listen, if Bo Nix has a game like that, like he had against the Green Bay Packers, you might as well just take the Lombardi Trophy and send it on to Denver right now,” Johnson said on Inside the NFL, and he wasn’t joking.
That’s a bold statement, but if you watched that game, you understand where he’s coming from.
Let’s talk about Bo Nix. The rookie quarterback delivered what was easily the most complete performance of his young NFL career - 23 of 34, 302 yards, four touchdowns, zero turnovers.
But those numbers only tell part of the story. What stood out was his poise, his command of the offense, and his ability to make high-leverage throws when it mattered most.
None bigger than the one late in the fourth quarter.
Up 27-26, facing a 4th-and-3 at Green Bay’s 42-yard line with just over nine minutes left, Nix didn’t flinch. He dropped back and delivered a perfect strike to Courtland Sutton for a 26-yard gain.
That throw didn’t just move the chains - it set the tone. Denver finished that drive with a touchdown that gave them the breathing room they needed to close out the game.
That’s the kind of decision-making you don’t always see from a young quarterback. And it’s the kind of throw that head coach Sean Payton probably wouldn’t have greenlit earlier in the season. But things are changing in Denver - and fast.
According to Johnson, Payton’s play-calling against Green Bay looked noticeably different. More aggressive.
Less conservative. And that’s not by accident.
As Johnson put it, “When Sean Payton calls plays, it’s to protect his quarterback, to make sure he makes all the right decisions. The plays that are called are plays to make sure they’re safe.
But I’m not sure what happened this week. Maybe Sean Payton just said, forget it, I’m gonna let young bull just throw.”
That shift in philosophy speaks volumes. Payton is starting to trust Nix - not just to manage games, but to go win them. And when you pair that with a defense that, as Johnson noted, has no real weaknesses across all three levels, you start to see why this team is becoming a real problem in the AFC.
Denver’s defense has been the backbone of this resurgence, but it’s the offense - and specifically Nix’s maturation - that’s turning heads. The Broncos aren’t just squeaking by anymore. They’re dictating tempo, finishing drives, and making the kind of plays that separate contenders from pretenders.
Now, is it too early to start printing Super Bowl tickets? Maybe.
But if Bo Nix keeps playing like this - if Payton keeps dialing it up with this level of trust - then Denver isn’t just a nice story. They’re a legitimate threat.
The Broncos haven’t hoisted the Lombardi Trophy since Super Bowl 50. But if this trajectory holds, they might be closer to No. 4 than anyone expected.