Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix continues to break franchise (and NFL) records this season. With just one touchdown pass in Week 12, Nix will break the team’s rookie record for the most passing touchdowns in a season with 15.
As Nix makes rookie history and passes Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway in numerous categories, coach Sean Payton has been ribbing the three-time Super Bowl champion.
“We’re hitting these milestones and I just have to give Elway a hard time like, ‘What the heck?’” Payton said Sunday. “The future is bright. He’s young, and I’m sure each week there will be something — or each month maybe — that elapses. I think the most important thing is this — and I mean this because you guys, you spend a lot of time with him — it’s getting the win. We’ve won some games there year where maybe his numbers weren’t [great], and you’ve heard me say, ‘It doesn’t have to be aesthetically pleasing to be effective.’
“Our job is to win each week, week after week. There are midseason goals and then ones that you want to attain [in the] postseason if that’s an opportunity. I always feel that way with him, and quite honestly feel that way with a lot of the skill players. It’s an unselfish group, and they’re playing pretty good team football.”
Nix has already set the franchise record for the most wins by a rookie quarterback with six, and there are six games remaining this season. As Payton noted, wins are the stat that matters most. He’s got a long way to go before matching Elway’s 148 career wins, but as far as rookie seasons go, Nix is already one of the best in Broncos history.
