Broncos QB Bo Nix remains optimistic after shaky rookie debut

Bo Nix searches for the beauty behind the madness of his rookie debut.

The Broncos starting quarterback doesn’t dwell on the two interceptions or throwing for only 138 yards on 42 attempts in a loss to Seattle in Week 1. Nix takes pride in the good moments — even if those were few — with the hope of a better outcome on Sunday against the Steelers.

“It was a great game of learning,” said an optimistic Nix after Wednesday’s practice. “I think the film was positive. When you (go) back, you see there were opportunities and we just gotta capitalize in a few more areas.”

Two scoring drives on Sunday are one of the reasons Nix is confident that he can produce better results moving forward. In the final seconds of the second quarter, he made a back shoulder pass to wide receiver Josh Reynolds for a 25-yard gain to set up a 45-yard field goal from kicker Wil Lutz.

Then in the fourth quarter, the Broncos were desperate for points when Nix engineered a seven-play, 54-yard scoring drive. Positioned at Seattle’s 14, Nix completed a 10-yard pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton on a slant route before scrambling for a 4-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 26-20 with 2:17 left in regulation.

“Those moments were critical in the game,” Nix said. “They provided points and big opportunities. Our two two-minute drives actually turned into 10 points. We just have to find more ways to do that the rest of the time.”

Nix’s accuracy was questionable, and he was off-target on a handful of throws. But his mobility was impressive. He finished five carries for 35 yards (7 yards per attempt), drawing praise from Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin.

“I was somewhat surprised by his quarterback mobility,” Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday. “I thought he was highly effective.”

Across the league, rookie quarterbacks had their fair share of growing pains in Week 1. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, the first overall pick, went 14 for 29 with 93 yards and a passer rating of 55.7 in a win over Tennessee.

Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, the second overall pick in the NFL Draft, had the best performance out of the three quarterbacks, completing 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards while rushing for 88 and two scores.

That’s not an excuse for Nix’s performance. It’s a reminder to have patience.

Inside the visiting locker room in Seattle, Sutton approached Nix to offer words of encouragement. He reminded his teammate of the constant momentum swings in the NFL, and that not every game is going to be his masterpiece.

“Bo is a student of the game,” Sutton said. “I’m sure he has his things that he took from the game that he wants back and things that he thought he did well that he wants to continue to progress on. There’s a lot of hope and promise moving forward.”