It's hard for Bo Nix to explain how big this factor is in 2025
It's hard for Bo Nix to explain how big this factor is in 2025
Bo Nix hasn't had this kind of continuity since high school.
For the first time since playing prep football in Pinson, Alabama, in 2018, Nix is approaching a football season with the same play caller from his previous season.
Yes -- you read that right -- in three years at Auburn and two years at Oregon, Nix never had the same play caller in back-to-back seasons. That is set to change in 2025 as Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton -- the team's play caller -- is entering his third season with the club and second year with Nix as his QB.
'It's huge," Nix said after the first week of organized team activities. "It's kind of weird going back to the first install, it's not new verbiage and not new things. It made it a lot easier this year. Now, it was tough to learn it last year, but being in a system and getting right back to where we were, just being able to call plays and understanding what it's like — going longer than 365 days just hearing the same thing, I think it's going to be really beneficial.
"Honestly, it felt weird because it hasn't been since high school. I'm just used to learning different things, so it's good not to have to learn an entire new system this year and have the same play caller and have the same quarterback coach. [Also], the same guys you're throwing it to. The same center and the same [offensive] line. Being the same, it's going to be — it's hard to even explain. You're going to see it in ways that you can't even understand. It's just a natural thing to go out there and just pick up right where you left off and not have to restart.'
Payton said when Nix hears and then delivers plays in the huddle this year, they "run off his tongue," unlike last year when Payton had to repeat the plays for Nix. "It's just a lot different," the coach noted.
Nix having familiarity with the offense -- and coaching staff -- going into Year 2 only increases the likelihood of the young QB taking a big leap in his second season. Stay tuned. It's almost Bo Time.
Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Ohio State coach Ryan Day makes bold College Football Playoff statement
Expansion could be on the horizon for the College Football Playoff, and Ryan Day is lobbying for more guaranteed Big Ten representation. A 16-team playoff format is gaining traction for 2026 and beyond, and the Ohio State head coach believes his conference should have several automatic spots each year. 'I feel like we deserve at least four automatic qualifiers,' Day told ESPN this week. 'We're in the Big Ten, and we have 18 teams and some of the best programs in the country.' The Buckeyes are coming off a national championship after playing through a 12-team field that featured three other Big Ten teams: Penn State, Indiana and Oregon. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day speaks to the media in April 2025. Getty Images Day hopes that this will be an annual occurrence in a larger bracket. A 16-team model that would feature the top-five conference champions and 11 at-large bids gained support at the SEC spring meetings last week. But, in the format Day supports, both the Big Ten and SEC would each have four auto qualifiers, with the ACC and Big 12 each getting two, and the top Group of Five champion also earning a guaranteed spot. Three at-large spots would round out the field. Day pointed to the fact that the Big Ten added the top programs from the Pac-12 in its recent expansion: USC, Washington, Oregon and UCLA. The College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy on display in January 2025. AP Washington and Oregon were the only two teams from the Pac-12 to have made the CFP during the four-team playoff era. 'You would have had at least a team or two [in the CFP] from out there,' Day said of the original Pac-12. 'So it only makes sense when you have 18 teams, especially the quality of teams that you would have [in] that many teams representing the Big Ten.' For the 2025 season, the playoff will retain its 12-team format, with the top four teams in the final CFP rankings earning first-round byes. That marks a slight change from last season, when the four highest-ranked conference champions received byes.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
New Contract Proposed for Broncos' All-Pro Edge Rusher Nik Bonitto
New Contract Proposed for Broncos' All-Pro Edge Rusher Nik Bonitto originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Led by edge rusher Nik Bonitto, the Denver Broncos had one of the NFL's top defenses in 2024, allowing just 18.3 points per game. Advertisement Bonitto led the Broncos with 13.5 of the team's 63 sacks, on his way to a second-team All-Pro season and Pro Bowl appearance in 2024. That was a major jump in production from 1.5 sacks in his rookie season in 2022 and eight sacks in 2023. It may surprise you to hear that Bonitto was third in the NFL in sacks, just behind the highly-paid Miles Garrett (14) and Trey Hendrickson (17.5). Hendrickson is holding out for an extension right now, and according to Tom Blair of Bonitto should be too. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) tries to avoid a tackle by Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images The 25-year-old out of Oklahoma was a second-round pick in 2022. He is still on his rookie contract, which means he is making less than $1.5 million this season. Advertisement Here is how Blair breaks it down. "Dividing Bonitto's APY [$1.45 million] by his team-leading 13.5 sacks in 2024 works out to $107,407 per sack in APY. That might seem like a decent amount, until you put it next to Trey Hendrickson's APY-per-sack mark of $1.2 million," Blair wrote. Throw in the fact that Blair believes Hendrickson is currently underpaid, which means Bonitto is making almost 10 times less than he could be. It might be hard to convince the Broncos to put an extension together with such a cheap deal. However, Bonitto's contract ends after the 2025-2026 season, which means the Broncos will have to pay up anyway if they want to keep the star defender going forward. Advertisement It will be up to head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton to decide if Related: Broncos Suggested to Trade for Former 1,000-Yard RB This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Broncos DT Zach Allen ‘On Radar' for New Extension
Broncos DT Zach Allen 'On Radar' for New Extension originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Denver Broncos defense was one of the best units in the NFL last season. They finished top 10 in takeaways, top 10 in total yards allowed per game, third in rushing yards allowed and third in points allowed. Oh, and they led the league in sacks with 63. That was nine more than the next closest team, Baltimore. Advertisement The Broncos were rushing the passer and stopping the run as good as any team in the league, which is why they allowed just 18.3 points per game. So signing extensions for some of those high quality defenders, especially with such a stout defensive line, is likely going to be a goal for the Broncos through this offseason and next year before free agency. Yesterday, there was a proposal suggesting that edge rusher Nik Bonitto, who led the team in sacks with 13.5, needed to get extended. According to Anthony Holzman-Escareno, a senior researcher at another key player that could be up for a big contract soon is Denver defensive tackle Zach Allen. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs for a gain during the fourth quarter as Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (99) defends in an AFC wild card game at Highmark Fisher-Imagn Images The 27-year-old Allen, a former Arizona Cardinals third-round pick, was one of the top reasons that the Broncos' pass rush was so successful last season. Advertisement Next Gen Stats tallied a whopping 67 pressures, leading all defensive tackles last season. Allen also led the NFL with 40 quarterback hits. According to Holzman-Escareno, "Since 2010, only five players have had 40-plus QB hits in a season: J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt, Aaron Donald, Nick Bosa and Allen." Allen joins Bonitto and safety Brandon Jones, who led the team with 115 tackles in 2024, as key players on defense that are now in a contract year. Related: New Contract Proposed for Broncos' All-Pro Edge Rusher This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
