Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix and veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton may be the hottest quarterback-wide receiver tandem in the league right now.
The latest proof of their burgeoning bond came in Week 12, when the Broncos defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 29-19 on the road, with Nix going 25-of-42 passing for 273 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Sutton had eight receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Over the last five games, Sutton has averaged 93.4 receiving yards per game and currently leads the Broncos with 57 receptions for 744 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Bill Simmons praised Nix and Sutton’s combo on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on November 24. With five games remaining in the regular season, Denver is now 7-5 and in seventh and final place in the AFC playoffs.
“First, Nix has gotten… “He’s like night and day from that Jets game where he threw for 60 yards,” Simmons explained. “It feels like a different person. In today’s clip, he can be seen yelling at the opposing team’s defense. Now, he’s comparable to a 30-year-old rookie. He resembles Scott Bakula from ‘Necessary Roughness’… However, the way he handles himself is not that of a beginner. “He’s gotten better week by week. I believe he has chemistry with Courtland Sutton. I can see them making the playoffs… “I think they are pretty frisky.”
Broncos Trying to End Lengthy Playoff Drought
The Broncos and second-year head coach Sean Payton are attempting to break their playoff drought, which dates back to 2015, when they won the Super Bowl in quarterback Peyton Manning’s final season. Denver has not had a winning record since going 9-7 in 2016.
Nix was selected 12th overall in the 2024 NFL draft after making 61 FBS starts at Auburn and Oregon. He was the sixth and last quarterback selected in the first round of an NFL draft that featured 14 offensive players.
Nix’s recent play has put him in the mix for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, with odds on him dropping to +125 on ESPN Bet on November 25, basically making it a two-man race between Nix and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, who has seen a decline in his play recently.
Sutton Taking Place Among NFL’s Elite Wideouts
Sutton is attempting to become the Broncos’ first 1,000-yard receiver since 2019, when he had 72 receptions for 1,112 yards and made his sole Pro Bowl appearance.
He’s on track to reach 1,000 yards in a season that follows a difficult offseason for the seventh-year wide receiver, who negotiated a $11.7 million increase on the four-year, $60.8 million contract extension he signed in November 2021.
Sutton is owed an additional $13.5 million in compensation in 2025. It’s not impossible that the Broncos may try to sign him to another long-term contract after the 2024 season to keep him from becoming a free agent.
