At first it was easy to laugh.

From the moment the Denver Broncos submitted a draft card for the No. 12 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft with Bo Nix’s name on it, the move felt like a serious effort. Nix was already an older talent when he entered the league at age 24, and an early run on QBs made it seem like the Broncos were panicking at their first-round spot (without a second-round pick in their arsenal) and the next one picked up on their draft board.

The laughter didn’t stop when the regular season started. Nix’s first two games were losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers – games in which Nix threw zero touchdowns and four interceptions. In those games, the Broncos QB looked overwhelmed in transition and underwhelming under center. For Chiefs Kingdom, it was nice to see the Broncos sniff out such an important organizational decision.

But then something happened. Nix started to get better. (Imagine if a rookie actually needs reps to grow.) The Broncos are 5-2 since those first two games of the season, and Nix has thrown for 8 TDs and just 2 INTs since then. He also rushed for 295 yards and four scores through half a season, showing he can be a threat as a scrambler as well.

So what should Chiefs fans expect from Nix in Arrowhead on Sunday in Week 10? How much has he really improved? What are his weaknesses? We asked our friend Sayre Bedinger of Predominantly Orange to tell us more about Nix’s professional journey so far and whether he’s a BO lover or not.

I think a lot of Broncos Country is excited about Bo Nix, while a lot of them remain skeptical. It’s almost as if a portion of the fanbase won’t allow themselves to get excited about what they see from him, if I’m being purely transparent. You know what fans are like. They will poke holes that literally no one else sees because they don’t want to be disappointed and let down if things don’t work out. But I would say that there is also a large portion of the fanbase already loving BO this year. He has made steady progress and he has been impressive even when the team isn’t winning.

I think everyone is impressed with the speed with which he has proven to have command of the offense, as well as a good understanding of what the defense is doing. It doesn’t feel “too fast” for him, as people said in week 1. He certainly has his rookie moments, but you can tell he’s not walking around as a puppet. He sees things better and better week after week.

I’d say the biggest hurdle for him right now is finding ways to complete rides more consistently. The Broncos have moved the ball really well over the past month, but they’ve struggled to drive it in at times. There are a lot of factors in that, but Bo getting on the same page as his receivers and continuing to build that chemistry within this offense is going to help him a lot.

I think you have to assume he made a lot of throws in that game. The interception on the first drive was entirely Lil’Jordan Humphrey’s fault. The offense moved the ball effectively throughout the first half, but fumed in Raven territory after a pair of fourth-down attempts. I think you obviously have to learn from some of the misses in there, but overall Nix looked like he could keep the Broncos in it if the defense could get a few stops. (They didn’t.)