ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Bo Nix is one of the greatest passers in the history of college football.
His senior season at Oregon, Nix set the all-time completion percentage record (77.4) while also racking up over 4,500 passing yards. His 45 passing touchdowns was the most among all quarterbacks in 2023 as well.
Because of his record-breaking passing statistics, his ability to run often goes overlooked. Even the Denver Broncos and Sean Payton are surprised at how dangerous the rookie can be with his feet.
“He’s a little bit faster than maybe we anticipated even coming out [of college] from a running standpoint,” the Broncos’ head coach admitted on Monday morning.
In Week 1’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Nix hit 20.05 miles per hour on his 23-yard scramble. That was the second fastest speed reached among any ball carrier in the entire NFL in Week 1.
His speed and ability to run isn’t new either.
Coming out of high school, Nix wasn’t just a prolific passer. The five-star quarterback was the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the nation.
He proved that in college, rushing for 1,613 yards and a whopping 38 touchdowns. His first season at Oregon, in 2022, Nix racked up 510 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.
In his first seven games in the NFL, his ability to run the ball has translated to the next level very well. Coming off a 75-yard performance against the New Orleans Saints, Nix has racked up 255 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Nix’s 255 rushing yards is the fourth-most among quarterbacks, only trailing Baltimore Ravens‘ QB Lamar Jackson (403), Washington Commanders‘ QB Jayden Daniels (372) and Arizona Cardinals‘ QB Kyler Murray (261).
Nix’s speed and ability to run has opened up Payton’s offense.
“It does give you some flexibility particularly on third down or in the red zone,” Denver’s head coach admitted.
Nix has more rushing yards than dynamic running quarterback such as Philadelphia Eagles‘ QB Jalen Hurts (218), Indianapolis Colts‘ QB Anthony Richardson (197), Buffalo Bills‘ QB Josh Allen (179) and Chicago Bears‘ QB Caleb Williams (169).
Speaking of Nix’s feet, the rookie quarterback has been criticized for his footwork in the passing game. On Monday, Payton had an interesting take on how to help the rookie improve his footwork.
“I think you have to be careful you’re not over coaching,” the head coach said. “There are some things he does very well out of the pocket or climbing up in the pocket. I think we start with the focus on timing of the route, the depth of the route in the gun or under center, [is it a] three, five or seven [-step drop back]?”
“We work on the rhythm of the play so that his feet marry up to the depth of the route,” Payton explained. “The times where he’s climbing the pocket or moving in the pocket, we’re pretty smart about how much we saw or how much we try to fix.”
With a steep learning curve entering the NFL, Payton doesn’t want to put too much on Nix’s plate.
One trait that will help Nix buy time — both in a singular play and developing as a passer — is his ability to run.
Even at the NFL level, Nix is proving he’s one of the most dangerous quarterbacks on the ground.