The Denver Broncos hope they found a franchise quarterback in Bo Nix, whom they drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Nix has exceeded all expectations and led the Broncos to the playoffs, giving the organization hope that he’s a long-term solution under center.
Here’s everything you need to know about Denver’s rookie quarterback.
How Tall Is Bo Nix?
At the NFL Combine, Nix measured in at 6’2 ⅛”, which is right in line with the average among NFL quarterbacks. For comparison, Nix is basically the same size as Aaron Rodgers, who is 6’2″.
Nearly 70% of NFL quarterbacks are 6’2″ or taller. The tallest quarterbacks in the NFL are Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, and Tanner McKee — all of whom are listed at 6’6″. The shortest active QBs are Kyler Murray and Bryce Young, who are both listed at 5’10”.
How Much Does Nix Weigh?
Nix weighs 217 pounds, which is slightly below the average at his position (224.9 pounds). While in college, Nix bulked up and put on about 12 pounds. He will likely continue to add weight in the NFL.
Anthony Richardson is the heaviest active NFL quarterback at 245 pounds, while Young is the lightest at 204 pounds.
How Old Is Nix?
Born on Feb. 25, 2000, in Arkadelphia, Ark., Nix is 24 years old.
Nix was one of the oldest prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. For comparison, he’s two years older than Richardson, who is the youngest quarterback in the NFL at 22 years old. Meanwhile, the NFL’s oldest quarterback is Rodgers, who is 40 years old.
What School Did Nix Go To?
While at Pinson Valley High School, Nix emerged as a four-star recruit after totaling 12,000 yards and a staggering 161 touchdowns. He was named Alabama’s Mr. Football during his senior season.
Nix originally committed to Auburn, where he played for three seasons. Bo’s father, Patrick, played quarterback at Auburn as well, so he decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps. In fact, his father holds the Auburn record for most pass completions in a game (34).
However, Bo ultimately transferred to Oregon prior to the 2022 season. When he transferred to the Ducks, he had two seasons of eligibility remaining based on the NCAA-wide COVID-19 eligibility waiver for the 2020 season.
Revisiting Nix’s College Career
In 2019, Nix was named Auburn’s starting quarterback as a true freshman. He led the Tigers to a 9–4 record during his freshman season, including a 27–21 comeback win over Oregon and a 48-45 victory over Alabama in the Iron Bowl. He was voted the SEC’s 2019 Freshman of the Year, finishing the campaign with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions.
As a sophomore, Nix threw for 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions during the 2020 season.
In 2021, Nix led Auburn to its first win at LSU since 1999 and a victory over No. 10 Ole Miss. However, he also struggled in several games and was benched for TJ Finley in the fourth quarter of a game against Georgia State. After throwing for 11 touchdowns and three interceptions throughout the 2021 season, Nix suffered a season-ending injury against Mississippi State.
On Dec. 12, 2021, Nix announced he was entering the transfer portal, describing himself as “miserable” while playing under Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin, who had been hired in 2021.
In his first season with Oregon, Nix lead the team to a 10-3 record.
In 2023, Nix led the nation in passing touchdowns (40) and rushed for another six. Nix became the fourth Heisman Trophy finalist in Oregon history, joining Joey Harrington (2001), LaMichael James (2010), and Marcus Mariota (2014). He finished third in Heisman voting behind Michael Penix Jr. and the eventual winner Jayden Daniels.
The @oregonfootball connection!
Bo Nix finds Troy Franklin for his first career TD catch!
📺: #LACvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/FU4T8eKNT8— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
Nix went a combined 22-5 over two seasons at Oregon, and in 2023, he completed an NCAA-record 77.4% of his passes for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns, and just three picks. Nix broke Mac Jones’ single-season completion percentage record.
When Nix declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, he ranked second in NCAA history in total yards, fourth in total touchdowns, sixth in passing yards, seventh in completions, and 17th in passing touchdowns.
Nix’s Contract and Salary
Due to the NFL’s rookie-scale contracts, Nix is earning a fixed amount based on his draft position (No. 12 overall). He signed a four-year, $18,613,166 contract with the Broncos. Nix’s deal is fully guaranteed, and his average annual salary is $4,653,292.
During the 2024 season, Nix’s base salary is just $795,000 but he also received a $10,356,848 signing bonus from the Broncos. His cap hit for this season is $3,384,212.
According to Over the Cap, Nix’s salary ranks 40th among active quarterbacks.
For reference, some of the other quarterbacks with a larger cap hit than Nix include Houston Texans QB Davis Mills ($3,547,473), New York Giants QB Drew Lock ($5,000,000), and Dallas Cowboys third-string QB Trey Lance ($5,310,714).
What Is Nix’s Net Worth?
For many years, college football stars weren’t able to make any money while in school, so their first significant payday happened once they entered the NFL. However, in Nix’s case, he was doing well for himself even before turning pro thanks to his NIL deals.
Nix emerged as a superstar at Oregon, breaking multiple school records and even notching the best single-season completion percentage in NCAA history. He had a terrific collegiate career, ranking second in NCAA history in total yards, fourth in total touchdowns, sixth in passing yards, seventh in completions, and 17th in passing touchdowns.
As one of the top players in the country at a powerhouse program like Oregon, Nix was a millionaire before he got drafted. According to On3, Nix’s annual roster valuation was $1.4 million, which was one of the highest in the nation.
While in college, Nix had endorsement deals with Topps, Bojangles, Milo’s Tea, Bose, and Candy Digital, among others. Now, he also has partnerships with companies such as Old Spice, Milo’s Tea Company, USAA, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Raising Canes.
Between his NFL contracts, NIL money, and current endorsements, Nix has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million. And as he continues to cash his NFL paychecks and ascend to superstardom, that number is sure to increase.
Denver Broncos vs. Buffalo Bills Game Preview
- Location: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Channel: CBS/Paramount+
Nix is trying to lead the Broncos to a playoff win over the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round.
Denver leads the league in Defense+, with blitzing serving as a cornerstone of their identity. Vance Joseph’s unit has blitzed at the third-highest rate of any defense this season.
For the Broncos to pull off the upset, playing from ahead will be essential. Bo Nix has been an above-average quarterback this season when playing with a lead but significantly less effective when attempting to lead a comeback.
The challenge for them is that their blitzing hasn’t been particularly effective, despite its frequency. Denver ranks 16th in pressure rate (41%) and 25th in success rate (50%) when sending extra pass rushers. In contrast, when the Broncos refrain from blitzing, they rank second in pressure rate (39%) and first in success rate (64%).
However, that could play into Josh Allen’s strengths. Allen thrives under pressure, ranking second in EPA per dropback when blitzed (0.30), trailing only Lamar Jackson. By traditional stats, Allen has thrown 15 touchdowns to just two interceptions when facing the blitz this season.
This is the sixth straight season in which Josh Allen is playing on Wild Card Weekend – he’s completed at least 70% of his passes in three of his past four, with multiple touchdown tosses in each of those contests (one touchdown pass for every 13.5 attempts across those four games).
Josh Allen has experienced some incredible playoff highs but also some recent lows. According to PFN’s QB+ metric, which dates back to 2019, Allen delivered the single best postseason performance on record. He achieved a perfect 100 A+ score in 2021, throwing nine touchdowns and zero interceptions in just two games.
However, in every other postseason of Allen’s career, his performance has been graded at a C-level or lower. Apart from 2021, he has never ranked higher than eighth in a single postseason by PFN’s QB+ metric.
Despite some recent playoff struggles, Allen has still thrown 21 touchdowns to just four interceptions in his postseason career. Among the 51 quarterbacks to throw 10 or more playoff touchdowns, his TD-to-INT ratio is the second-best in history, trailing only Alex Smith.
Allen and this unit have as high of a ceiling as any offense in the playoffs.
Allen has a chance to win 2024 MVP honors and seemingly made history every week. Buffalo’s offense is operating at such a high level that the bar to clear for the defense is lower than it would be on nearly any other team.
The Bills have met that threshold against lesser competition but will be challenged in the playoffs to help the Allen-Sean McDermott combination reach its first Super Bowl.