Bo Nix’s Revenge Tour: 5 Crucial Matchups That Could Define the Broncos' Season

The Denver Broncos' 2025 season is expected to be one of the team's most anticipated in recent years. The Broncos have made several key additions on offense and defense to keep themselves in the playoff conversation.

While adding tight end Evan Engram, safety Talanoa Hufanga, and an entire draft class to the roster, the season hinges on how well second-year quarterback Bo Nix performs. With 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns, and four scores on the ground, Nix had a stellar rookie campaign, and building upon it will be no easy feat, but he has the grit and mental fortitude to take the next step.

With all that being said, there are several intriguing matchups for Nix this upcoming season, and it’s important to highlight which games will be pivotal for his development, starting with an AFC rematch from last year. 

Week 4: Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow and the Bengals bested Nix and the Broncos in last year's nail-biting overtime slugfest. While Cincinnati’s defense isn’t exactly elite, Nix still has a chip on his shoulder and needs to prove that he can go toe-to-toe with the best quarterbacks in the league.

Last year, the Broncos traveled to the jungle, but this time around, Burrow and the Bengals will trek to the Rockies and play at Mile High. If Nix wants to win, he’ll have to go throw for throw and touchdown for touchdown with one of the top signal callers in the NFL.

Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles will be the toughest test for Nix in 2025, and it’s not particularly close. The Eagles' defense, led by former Broncos head coach Vic Fangio, is terrifying on all levels, with absolute killers like Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis on the defensive line, Zach Baun lying in wait over the middle, and the tandem of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean clamping down on whoever they lineup against.

Nix will have a difficult time with pressure and must make quick throws and be decisive. Pressure makes diamonds, and Nix will be tested heavily versus the defending Super Bowl Champions, but it’s exactly the push he needs to take the next step.

Week 11 & 17: Kansas City Chiefs

Both games against the Chiefs are of paramount importance to Nix. The Chiefs have run the AFC West since 2016, and Nix and the Broncos were a field goal away from vanquishing them on their turf.

Yes, the Broncos went on to beat the Chiefs in Week 18, but Kansas City had little to no starters with the first seed already locked up. For Nix to solidify himself as the Broncos' quarterback for the foreseeable future, he has to step up and put the team on his back to beat their most heated rivals when it counts.

Both Chiefs games this year will be challenging, but Nix must rise to the occasion to dethrone them and become a force in the AFC.

Week 13: Washington Commanders

Much of Nix’s success last season was overshadowed by the rookie sensation Jayden Daniels, who led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. Nix and Daniels battled for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but they’ll meet on the gridiron for the first time in what should be an exciting matchup.

Nix had 34 total touchdowns in 2025, three more than Daniels, and if Nix and Denver won a game or two more, we may be talking about him as the OROY, not the Commanders quarterback. While Nix may not outwardly care about awards, I think it burns him up on the inside, based on his ultra-competitive nature.

Nix may have been the last quarterback selected in the first round in 2024, but he’ll fight to prove that he should have been the first, and besting Jayden Daniels would give him a great case.

The Takeaway

Nix has several matchups this upcoming season that will test him mentality and physically. It’s up to him to push himself to solidify himself as the team's signal-caller going forward and take the Broncos not just back to the playoffs but eventually to the Super Bowl.