Bo Nix named one of NFL's most overrated quarterbacks despite overall success

The Denver Broncos spent nearly a decade in mediocrity following the retirement of Peyton Manning. Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, Teddy Bridgewater, Drew Lock and Russell Wilson were all given the chance to be the leader of the team. 

All of them failed. 

However, the fortunes of the entire franchise turned around as soon as the team used its first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. Despite Nix being the sixth quarterback drafted in the first 12 picks that year, the Broncos felt like they got their guy. 

In two seasons under Sean Payton, Nix has gone 24-10 as a started in the regular season while leading the team to the AFC Championship Game last year. Unfortunately, a broken ankle in the divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills ended his season. 

But not everyone is impressed with the way Nix has played in his first two seasons in the league. Nix, and the Broncos as a whole, have their doubters, prompting the quarterback to issue this famous line after a win over the Green Bay Packers last season. 

Count Garrett Podell of CBS Sports among those doubters as he recently named Nix one of the most overrated quarterbacks in the league. Here was his analysis:

"Bo Nix is an incredibly unique quarterback. He led the NFL with 612 passing attempts in 2025, but he failed to crack 4,000 yards passing, thanks to an average of 6.4 yards per attempt that ranked 28th among 33 qualified quarterbacks. That average was sandwiched in between washed versions of Aaron Rodgers (6.7 yards per pass attempt) and Kirk Cousins (also 6.4 yards per pass attempt). 

Nix's inconsistencies helped produce sluggish victories against the Kansas City  Chiefs' third-string quarterback,  Chris Oladokun, on Christmas in Week 17 (20-13), and a 19-3 home win over the Los Angeles Chargers' backups. The young quarterback's lumps directly led to Denver struggling to consistently drive the football down the field. Three of the top four teams with the most punts in the 2025 regular season -- the Browns (93), Titans (78) and Raiders (74) -- missed the playoffs and fired their respective head coaches . The fourth team in that group is Nix's Broncos, with 75 punts. He benefits from a strong offensive line and a strong defense.

Add in the ankle injury, and it will be interesting to see what happens next in his career."

It's easy to knock the statistics that Nix has posted, but it's tough to argue against his winning ways. To credit the defense and a good offensive line takes away from what Nix has brought to the team. All of the quarterbacks mentioned above had the benefit of a good defense and couldn't even get the team to the playoffs, let alone with some games.

There is no doubt that Nix, combined with Payton, has been what has brought the team back to prominence. To suggest that Nix has been a mediocre player who is just along for the ride is simply incorrect. 

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Nix is a great leader who came prepared to play in the league based on the career he enjoyed in college. He was paired with one of the best coaches of this generation and together, the two have been able to create some magic. Instead of the glass-half-empty take pointing to Nix's ankle, you can also look at the addition of Jaylen Waddle to the offense and imagine how much better Nix could be in 2026. 

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