DENVER — Bo Nix took a literal victory lap.
After a lights-out performance in the Broncos' 38-0 playoff-clinching win over the Chiefs, Nix circled the lower bowl at Empower Field at Mile High to slap hands with the remaining fans.
On a near-perfect afternoon in Denver, it may have been Nix's most challenging feat of the afternoon.
"I learned I've got to run a little bit more during the week, because that's a long path," Nix joked after helping the Broncos' end an eight-year postseason drought. "I was a little tired at the end."
That was about the only thing he didn't excel at on Sunday afternoon.
Nix completed his first 18 passes of the game — three of them touchdown passes — en route to the highest single-game completion percentage in franchise history. He became the first rookie in NFL history and first Broncos quarterback to complete his first 18 passes, and his 18 consecutive completions is also a single-game mark in franchise history.
"The sky's the limit for us when we have No. 10 with the ball in his hands," tackle Garett Bolles said.
Working largely against Chiefs reserves, Nix posted a career high in passing yards (321) while tying a career-best four touchdown passes. His 152.4 quarterback rating surpassed even that of his AFC Offensive Player of the Week-winning performance against the Falcons, and his 89.7 completion percentage is unmatched in franchise history among qualifying quarterbacks.
Over the course of the afternoon — during which Nix was not sacked — he dazzled with an array of throws.
He launched a pass deep to wide receiver Courtland Sutton for a game-changing 47-yard completion in the first quarter. Two plays later, he moved up in the pocket and delivered a strike to Sutton for his second touchdown pass. Near the end of the first half, he threw a terrific 32-yard pass down the sideline to Sutton, and he later delivered a 32-yard bullet to Devaughn Vele on third-and-11 to set up a third-quarter touchdown.
Then, of course, there were the plays on the ground. Nix converted a pair of fourth-and-1 plays with his legs, including a critical first-quarter attempt that helped Denver take an early two-score lead. Nix also added a pair of third-down conversions with his legs, but they paled in comparison to the 29-yard scramble that included a pitch back to Javonte Williams. The play was called back due to a forward pitch, but it showcased both Nix's athleticism and his competitive spirit.
"He changed the ceiling a lot," Surtain said of Nix. "A lot of times when rookie quarterbacks come in, the expectations [are] set low, but he's risen above all those expectations as a rookie. Him coming in with the right mindset, always staying composed, [having] the right confidence and attitude, I already knew he was going to be successful coming in. … Through adverse situations, he always kept his confidence, his swagger. And that's when I knew he was QB1 for the future, for sure. I'm very proud of Bo."
Even after a season in which Nix threw the second-most touchdown passes by a rookie in NFL history and the most touchdown passes by any Bronco not named Peyton Manning, his teammates believe the best is yet to come from the young signal-caller.
"Bo isn't your average rookie," Sutton said. "He comes in to work like a veteran. If no one knew that Bo was a rookie this year, and you just saw how he worked, and saw how he played on the field, no one would say, 'That's a rookie.' I admire that about him. I admire that he doesn't allow the outside circumstances or the outside noise to try to determine the type of player that he's going to be. He has so much more. I told you all before: It's only the beginning. I'm so excited [that] I get to experience Bo Nix's career.
"… This isn't a farewell to Bo's rookie season. He has a lot more in the tank going into [after] this rookie season. It's dope to see him carry your organization and a team to the playoffs after not being in the playoffs for eight seasons."
As Sutton indicated, Nix's season looked little like what one would expect from a rookie. The sixth quarterback off the board in April's draft, Nix threw the most touchdowns of any player in his class. With five other scores this season, Nix ranks third in NFL history for the most total touchdowns by a rookie in NFL history.
And yet, the external questions about Nix and the Broncos' 2024 campaign didn't ultimately matter. Nix kept performing, and the Broncos kept winning.
The 12th-overall pick set every significant rookie passing mark in franchise history, and he joins John Elway as the team's only rookies to lead the team in passing en route to a playoff berth. Nix, though, won 10 games to Elway's four.
Nix was sacked just 24 times, while he added more than 400 yards on the ground. He also posted the most games with 200 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and no interceptions of any rookie in NFL history.
Quite simply, Nix — and, in turn, the Broncos — exceeded just about every external expectation.
"We all have one goal, and that's to go out there and win for our team," Nix said. "It's funny; we kind of doubled what a lot of people thought we were going to win. [That] goes to show that [there was] a lot of talk preseason, but you don't have to be what people say you're going to be."
Now, Nix will set another mark as he will become the first rookie quarterback in franchise history to start a postseason game. Nix's goals, though, extend far beyond simply making the postseason.
"Our goal wasn't just to make the playoffs, even though it hadn't been done in a while," Nix said. "It's for a lot more than that. We're excited about the opportunity. I know it's going to be tough, but we've got a game to play."
