The Denver Broncos finally broke their nine-year playoff curse—or maybe it’s more about finally landing a legit quarterback. Enter Bo Nix. Ever since snagging him with the 12th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Broncos haven’t looked back. And why would they? The 24-year-old rookie didn’t just play; he led the team straight to the postseason for the first time in nearly a decade! Sure, the playoff run ended before the divisional round, but hey, it’s a start—and Nix has already got Denver buzzing.

But first things first, Nix had managed to win the trust and confidence of the head coach, Sean Payton. When the head coach was asked about his assessment of his rookie season, Payton had a confident answer. “It’s all in front of him. I think we found that player that can lead us,” Payton said.

See, the wildcard loss was a disastrous one for the Broncos, but for one tiny moment, Nix gave hope to the fans that they might clinch a spot for the divisional round. Yeah, we’re talking about Nix’s 43-yard touchdown pass to Troy Franklin that gave the Denver team an early start of 7-0. Though the Buffalo Bills had the final laugh, as it appears, Payton is true to his statement and the Denver team indeed found a QB that can lead them.

The reason? With the last regular season triumph over the reigning champions, Nix became one of just five rookies with over 3,500 yards and at least 25 touchdowns. And that’s why, folks, Payton believes what he believes. “And I said this before, I think we found that player that can lead us and be what we need, relative to having the success we’re used to having. I think we found it,” the head coach continued.

See, the thing is, the Broncos didn’t end their season the way they wanted it. There are still many challenges the team has to face if they want to level the top teams of the league. However, the way things shaped this season, there’s no denying that Sean Payton and Co. managed to fill out the most important position in their roster.

Nik Bonitto yet to get a new deal after Bo Nix’s praise

Top Comment by dsmith9441

Yes he is thank God ????

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The quarterback apart, let’s talk about the Broncos’ defense, especially their outside linebacker, Nik Bonitto. One-word review? The 25-year-old LB had a monster season this year. I mean, Bonitto wrapped up the season with a bang—13.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a recovery, and even a touchdown to top it off. And with that kind of performance, you surely catch the attention of the general manager besides a Pro Bowl berth.

With the postseason defeat to the Bills, Bonitto will now enter his final season of rookie contract. And, of course, the team would want to go ahead with a contract extension for their star linebacker. But guess what? The Broncos are yet to start this conversation with Bonitto after his impeccable season.

When the GM, George Paton, asked about his new deal, he came out with a surprising answer. “It’s a really good question. We haven’t even had those conversations yet. I mean, Nik has had a great year, obviously we’d love to have Nik here long term,” Paton said. Bonitto signed his four-year rookie contract with the Broncos back in 2022 worth $5.8 million with a $1.4 million signing bonus, fully guaranteed, no questions asked.

Entering the 2025 season, the LB will make nearly $1.5 million in his final season of the contract. Now, what he gotta do? Well, if all things considered, Nik Bonitto needs to repeat this season’s performance, or even better, if we’re being honest about getting a mega contract from the team. That said, the team will now enter the off-season with a fresh smile, given their QB and defense concerns are kinda sorted.