Courtland Sutton praises Bo Nix after playoff berth ‘He’s that guy’

DENVER—The Denver Broncos punched their ticket to the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade, and while the team’s success has been a collective effort, the spotlight is shining brightly on rookie quarterback Bo Nix. His emergence as a leader in the locker room and his maturity on the field have reinvigorated the Mile High City and its NFL franchise.

Wide receiver Courtland Sutton has been praising Nix for months but the veteran offered a long and insightful answer when asked about the rookie on Sunday after the team shut out the Chiefs 38-0.

“Man, shoot so, I got to lay eyes on Bo during minicamp, and I was like, man this, he can throw that ball a little bit,” Sutton said. “And being able to get into training camp and see his determination, to want to grow, to want to learn. He asked so many questions of just wanting to understand concepts and seeing like watching him, you know, we’ll run through a play, and then he’ll come back and start having conversations with us. And I’m like, man, you don’t, it’s hard to get some veteran quarterbacks to do some of those things, and to see a young guy have so much drive and passion for the game. It makes everyone around you better.”

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill praise. Sutton has been through the ups and downs of Broncos football for the last seven years and has played with 11 different quarterbacks. For him to call Nix “that guy” might mean more than just about anyone else in Broncos Country’s approval.

“Bo isn’t your, you know, average rookie. 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, ‘Oh, that’s a rookie.,'” Sutton emphasized. “When your quarterback’s that guy, it makes everybody else in the entire building better He shows up to work, and he’s just determined to be the best him that he can be.”

Nix’s demeanor, preparation, and leadership showed out big in the Week 18 win. Though Kansas City was playing a zombie squad, Denver still needed a result to end the playoff woes. Nix came out by setting a franchise record for competitions to start a game at 18. By the time the rookie finally missed, the Broncos had already scored three touchdowns and were in the red zone for a fourth score.

“Man, they had no idea what we had in this locker room. Bo isn’t your, you know, average rookie. … It’s only the beginning,” Sutton said. “Man, I’m so excited I get to experience Bo Nix’s career. … It’s a fun roller coaster to ride. He’s got so much more. It’s only the beginning.”

Nix finished the season with 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns to 12 interceptions plus another 92 carries for 430 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. The great rookie season goes down as the second-most touchdowns thrown by a second-year player.

Nix’s legacy in year one has led the Broncos to at least the playoffs—which is pretty special. But an upset over Buffalo to start his playoff career could mean something even sweeter for the ‘Nix Coaster.’ No matter what next Sunday holds, Sutton is signed to run it back with Bo for his sophomore season and Broncos Country can finally start believing in the orange and blue again.

The rookie is headed to the #NFLPlayoffs!

Bo Nix made sure to show @Broncos fans ALL the love after the game 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/qtEfZq3bOA

— NFL (@NFL) January 6, 2025

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