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Fresh off their first postseason appearance since the 2014 NFL season, the Denver Broncos are looking to build off their success from Bo Nix’s rookie season as they head into 2025. But fighting an uphill battle in the league’s toughest division won’t make things easy for Denver.
Their offense is dependent on Nix taking a jump in his second season, even after his standout rookie campaign. Entering the NFL as an older rookie, things had to click early for Nix, and so far they have. But a 10-win season, an outcome that was once seen as a goal, now needs to be Denver’s baseline moving forward, and reaching that weighs heavily on the shoulders of Nix.
Bo Nix is under pressure to have another impressive season
Expectations weren’t super high for Denver last season, as they were undergoing a transition at quarterback. Head coach Sean Payton was entering his second season, and after weathering the final season of Russell Wilson, Payton finally earned a chance to put his fingerprints all over the offense.
Nix was thrown right into the fire as a rookie, as Payton believed in the former Oregon Duck coming out of training camp. Throwing for 29 touchdowns and running for four more, Nix showed just how efficient he can be, even if he needs to cut down on his 15 turnovers.
It was a pleasant surprise to see how Nix acclimated to the speed of the NFL, especially when the running game was no help. The gross combination of Javonte Williams, rookie Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Tyler Badie made this backfield inoperable most weeks, meaning that Nix had to orchestrate most of the offense through the passing game.
His relationship with receiver Courtland Sutton started strong, as he was targeted 11-plus times in two of the first three weeks. Even though 27 targets across Weeks 1-3 only turned into 12 receptions, it was clear early on that Nix understood where the ball needed to go more often than not.
Light on offseason offensive additions
Having only drafted three offensive skill players in the 2025 NFL Draft, Payton and the front office focused on continuing to build their strong defense, specifically at cornerback and pass rusher. While Harvey and rookie receiver Pat Bryant figure to factor into the offense in 2025, Nix is the catalyst that makes this wheel turn, and he will be tasked with doing even more this season.
Evan Engram was the key addition in free agency for Denver, as he will likely fill Payton’s much-discussed Joker role in the passing game. The tight end room for the Broncos has been without a strong option for quite a few seasons, especially after Noah Fant failed to live up to expectations before he was included in the Wilson trade.
It would have been good to see another pass catcher added as WR2 alongside Sutton, whether through the draft or free agency. While Payton has talked highly about Bryant this offseason, the Illinois rookie will be competing with Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, and Devaughn Vele for a substantial role in the passing game.
Payton obviously trusts how the skill player groups are built out at this point, which seems a bit hasty to have that conviction. Sutton needs a running mate to emerge this year, and which option it becomes will be counted on heavily, especially if the 29-year-old wideout has any injury issues pop up.
Win-now window wide open… for now
Entering the 2025 NFL season with one of the older rosters in the NFL, the Broncos have set themselves up to extend their playoff window. Sutton, who returns as Nix’s top target, is one of the elder statesmen on the offense, and his veteran presence makes up for a wide receiver group that isn’t super deep.
That, combined with the uncertainty at running back (between rookie RJ Harvey and veteran JK Dobbins), is the perfect recipe for Payton to lean heavily on Nix again in 2025. Facing a middle of the pack schedule, Denver’s roster has no excuse to not factor into the AFC playoff picture yet again.
Nix showed that he can be the guy for the Broncos, but even he will need to take a big step forward if they want to compete again in the tough AFC West division. Eclipsing the 35 touchdown mark while cutting down on turnovers is the easiest way for Nix to take this offense to the next level, but even that might be a slightly out-of-reach goal for 2025.
