As Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has won three straight Rookie of the Week awards, which came on the heels of being named the Offensive Rookie of the Month (October), it's safe to say that he's finally broken into the greater NFL zeitgeist. Call it the mainstream, if you like, but many big media personalities and publications are owning up to freezing-cold takes given on Nix before and after the Broncos drafted him.
Everyone has to eat a little crow now and again in this, the land of football prognostication. Now, it's nothing but props, except one or two minuscule critics staying dug-in on their pre and post-draft Nix positions. As the season has marched on, we've heard several different head coaches and quarterbacks compliment Nix, and the latest to do so was Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
"I think Bo Nix is playing at a high level right now," Burrow said during a presser on Wednesday. "We've had a lot of like opponents. Those are really the—when you have like opponents, you see teams on film, and I think Bo's playing at a high level."
Soon after Burrow's comments, Broncos fans began sounding off in the comment section of Mile High Huddle's various social media accounts, especially on YouTube. It would be an understatement to say that it had Broncos Country fired up. But it also has the NFL buzzing.
The Broncos and Bengals have faced many of the same opponents, and Burrow and Nix will soon cross swords in Week 17. What was once sure to be a marquee matchup has diminished in the wake of Cincinnati's disappointing 4-7 start. But it still stands as a premier throwdown because of the QB head-to-head.
As one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, it's great to hear Nix's name mentioned first by a guy like Burrow when asked about which rookie quarterbacks have impressed him. In the same breath, Burrow also mentioned quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes, while also giving props to Nix's primary rival for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
"I think Jayden Daniels is playing at a high level," Burrow said. "So there's a lot of high-level quarterback play across the league... Those are the names that stand out when you watch them on tape."
Daniels is still holding onto a narrow lead in the ORoY odds, but Nix continues to bridge the gap. The Broncos will host one of Burrow's chief rivals — the Cleveland Browns — on Monday Night Football this week, and suffice it to say, the Bengals quarterback will likely be amongst the throng of Broncos Country rooting for the home team.
Adding to the curiousity of Burrow's comments on Nix is how Bo has often been compared to the former LSU superstar. I don't really see the comparison, as Nix is significantly more athletic, but for the Broncos' starting quarterback to even be mentioned alongside a player of Burrow's caliber is a true sign of the times.
There's a new sheriff in town (no pun intended).
