The Denver Broncos‘ joint training sessions with the Green Bay Packers Friday was another test for rookie quarterback Bo Nix. As the word has spread, the Broncos’ aspiring starting quarterback mastered the challenge with a calm composure that has become typical of his focused personality.
It’s well documented that Nix impresses his own teammates, but he also impressed the league’s highest-paid cornerback, Jaire Alexander, during practice under the blazing sun.
“I like Bo Nix,” said Alexander, about Chris Tomasson from The Denver Gazette. “I think he’s a young talent and I think he’s going to be a pretty good quarterback in this league… As practice went on, his decisions became clearer. They got better. He’s acting like a veteran.”
As he approaches his first professional appearance, Alexander says Nix looks like a rookie in name only. Perhaps his comfort level is due to his NCAA-record 61 college appearances in the SEC and PAC-12.
That experience undoubtedly plays a role, but Nix has a way of staying relaxed and mentally tuned into what he needs to do so he can handle the pressure.
“I learned early on in college that the more pressure you put on yourself, the harder it is to go out and play freely,” Nix admitted. “The last couple of seasons, I feel like I’ve been playing more and more freely. That’s contributed to the good days. You’re under enough pressure already, so you might as well go out and have fun playing football. Not many people get that opportunity and I’m just blessed to be here and be part of such a great team and organization. I still wake up and think, ‘You know what? I get to practice for an NFL team today.’ So I can’t imagine what it’s like to play on Sundays yet, but we’re almost there.”
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Frankly, Packers superstar quarterback Jordan Love seemed far less composed than Nix during the joint practice. Much like in Week 7 last year, the Broncos’ aggressive defense gave him problems all day long.
After practice, Love was generous enough to tip his hat to Nix and admitted that he is a big fan of the Broncos rookie and his long-term performance.
“I’m a big fan of Bo Nix,” Love noted. about Tomasson. “We’ll see what happens with that QB situation…I wish him the best if he gets a chance to start and play in some games this year. He’s got a long way to go and will continue to progress and get better every day.”
As the days and practices pass, Nix is undeniably cementing his position as the likely starter for Broncos head coach Sean Payton. However, as Nix’s counterpart with the Packers can attest, the challenges of the NFL are getting tougher.
Therefore, Nix is well aware that the best way to overcome the NFL’s notoriously steep learning curve is to fully commit to daily improvement.
“It’s steep, but I think when you learn a new offense or when you get to a new level (or a new scheme), it’s always going to be different,” Nix said of embracing the process. “There’s always going to be learning curves and there’s always going to be a lot of change. You just have to adapt to the change and embrace the change as much as you can. You just have to normalize things, create a new routine and get in there and really study hard and make sure you know what you’re doing. Even today in practice, you have to think through plays. Even if you go over it the night before, you might get a different perspective or you might get something you didn’t talk about and you kind of have to trust your reaction. It’s definitely steep, but so far I feel comfortable and I’m excited to keep going and learn some more.”
The Broncos’ rising rookie may be staying quiet as the hype builds, but fans could soon lose their minds.
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