Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain said Tuesday that he's recognized growth in Nix during the offseason and anticipates the quarterback taking another step forward both on the field and as a leader in his third NFL season, Susanna Weir of the team's official site reports. "I think his cerebral approach to the game is off the charts," Surtain said. "I always say he's so poised, but he's always had that calm demeanor going into his third year just bringing all the guys together offensively and just being a tremendous leader on the team."
Tight end Evan Engram and offensive tackle Garett Bolles also chimed in with praise for Nix, who finished the 2025 regular season with a 25:11 TD and 3,931 yards on an NFL-high 612 pass attempts while adding 356 yards and five scores on the ground. He then helped lead Denver to a divisional-round win over Buffalo before sitting out the AFC Championship Game loss to the Patriots due to a broken ankle, but he made a full recovery from surgery in advance of June minicamp. Nix performed efficiently during his lone preseason appearance Aug. 21 versus the Packers, connecting with offseason pickup Jaylen Waddle on a deep throw for a 35-yard gain during that contest. With a new field-stretching weapon like Waddle in the fold, Nix can potentially offset any decline in his league-leading passing volume by generating more splash plays. Nix saw his yards per attempt drop from 6.7 as a rookie to 6.4 during his sophomore season.