Surtain: Broncos QB Bo Nix is Going to 'Make a Lot of Noise' This Year

Can you feel it? The Mile-High air has suddenly been energized by the bustle of the business of football getting done at Denver Broncos headquarters.

This particular offseason has felt longer than usual, perhaps because for the first time in a very long time, Broncos Country has something genuinely special to look forward to. The Broncos have a playoff team just beginning to catch its stride, and more to the point, a burgeoning franchise quarterback to rally behind in Bo Nix.

Coming off a historic rookie season, Nix looked like a man possessed during the Broncos' offseason training program. More cool, calm, and collected, and a lot more fiery.

Last season, the Broncos' veterans had to come to terms with a rookie quarterback leading them out of the gates, but it didn't take long for Nix to completely win over his teammates. The experience Nix gained as an 18-game starter (counting playoffs) has only added to his reservoir of confidence, and his right tackle, Mike McGlinchey, sees that affecting his teammates in the same way.

"I don't think it really affected anybody's confidence a year ago, but I think it kind of became the expectation midway through. Then the way that he looked in the spring, and the way that he came back and the energy that he came back with, it certainly gives [confidence]," McGlinchey said on Tuesday as the Broncos' veterans reported to training camp. "His confidence is going to radiate through the whole team. Bo has done a great job of that. He's a pro’s pro in the way that he approaches the game and the way that he treats his teammates. He's going to be a great player for us this year."

Experience = Confidence

Although Nix has only one NFL season under his belt, he entered the 2024 draft as the most experienced college quarterback of all time, bringing 61 career starts to the table. Still, he's human, and the NFL is a whole different animal than college ball, so Nix had to weather his trial-and-error learning curve just like every other rookie.

Nix's first quarter of the 2024 season was emblematic of that learning curve, but he still managed to balance the scales by getting the Broncos to 2-2. From there, Nix hit the month of October, and before long, head coach Sean Payton had removed most of the guardrails he'd laid around the playbook.

Nix's rise led to a 10-win season and a playoff berth, snapping the Broncos' previous eight-year playoff drought. It didn't go well in the Wildcard Round of the playoffs vs. the Buffalo Bills, but that was not only a learning experience for this young Broncos team, but multiple players have said this offseason that it created a chip on everyone's shoulder.

On Tuesday, the veteran McGlinchey was asked to compare the Week-1 version of Nix from last season to where he is now.

“Certainly, the experience of playing football games in this league is very, very valuable. Now he knows what it feels like," McGlinchey said. "He knows what it looks like. He knows, obviously, that he is very good at it, and I think that just gives him the hunger for more."

Competitive Fire

Dec 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) reacts after a play in the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Empower Field at Mile High. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The difference-maker for any talented young quarterback is just how hot his competitive fires burn. McGlinchey has been around plenty of NFL signal-callers, but Nix's competitive drive has impressed the eighth-year vet.

"I think that's what's really impressive about Bo is his competitive nature of just trying to get the most out of himself every single day," McGlinchey said. "That ability to stack those days is why he improved so vastly and so fast as the season went on last year. I only expect the same things from him this year."

It's not just about competing with opponents. Nix is always competing against the man in the mirror — a tireless effort to maximize his talents and extract more and more production.

As one of his five blockers up front, McGlinchey has a closer view of Nix. Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II's view might be from a bit further out, but as a guy who has to compete against Nix in practice, he knows what he sees in the team's young quarterback.

Grab Your Earplugs: Nix is Poised to Make Noise

When Surtain was asked about Nix at the podium on Tuesday, once again, the 'C' word came up: confidence.

“Bo, he's even more confident going into this year. Obviously, with Year 1 under his belt, a lot more confidence rises upon that," Surtain said of Nix. "The team, we have Bo’s back through the whole way through. He’s a tremendous leader out there and a tremendous player. This year, he's going to make a lot of noise, and we're looking forward to seeing what he does and his success moving forward.”

Nix passed for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns last year. He totaled four rushing touchdowns and even caught a score, giving him 34 total for the season.

Nix finished as a Pro Bowl alternate and could have actually played in the Games down in Florida, but he declined an invitation so that he could undergo a minor procedure on his ankle. He wanted to be ready for the 2025 season as soon as possible.

With Payton still in his corner, an offensive line returning all five starters, a reloaded receiving arsenal, and an upgraded running back room, there's every reason to believe Surtain when he says that Nix is going to "make a lot of noise" in 2025.