ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Quarterback Bo Nix's impact is difficult to quantify.
Throughout the offseason and training camp, several players tried to describe what they thought it might be like to have the third-year signal-caller back in the huddle after his ankle injury kept him out of the AFC Championship Game last season.
When asked about what it would mean to have Nix back on the field during Denver's second preseason game, tight end Evan Engram simply said "you can't really put words on that." And during Nix's limited action against Green Bay, the offense benefited from his return as the quarterback led a pair of scoring drives.
Even since the end of last year, cornerback Pat Surtain II has seen growth from the Broncos' quarterback — and he said Nix's impact extends further than the offense. It permeates the team.
"I just think his cerebral approach to the game is off the charts," Surtain said Tuesday when asked where he's seen Nix improve. "I always say he's so poised, but he's always had that calm demeanor. Going into his third year, bringing all the guys together offensively, and just being a tremendous leader on the team. He's got that dog attitude to him, and that's what you want in a quarterback."
Tackle Garett Bolles — who has had a front-row seat to Nix's pro career since the day the quarterback was drafted — shared Tuesday that Nix has consistently approached every opportunity with an impressive level of composure.
"He's never changed from the minute he stepped into this building to the day it is right now," Bolles said. "Just the way that he attacks everything — his rehab, his composure, his mental. I mean, all of the above. The dude is just ready to rock and roll. … To protect him, to be in the huddle with him is tremendous. I'm super grateful for him and all that he [brings] to this organization. Just to have him in the huddle, how calm he is and the plays that he makes, it amazes me every single day."
As Nix and Co. now look ahead to the team's 2026 slate, Bolles knows the offense is in good hands with No. 10 under center — and the unit is eager to take the field with him again beginning in Week 1.
"[If] we give him time the way that we know we can, the sky is the limit for him," Bolles said. "… I'm excited to see what he does this year."
'WE'RE RIGHT ON TRACK'
Head Coach Sean Payton spoke Monday about the need for a process-oriented approach ahead of Denver's Week 1 opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, and on Tuesday, Surtain and Bolles both echoed his message. The Broncos and Chiefs will be the final two teams to take the field for their season openers when they face off on "Monday Night Football" on Sept. 14, but for Bolles, how the team prepares will remain the same.
"Nothing changes for me, I don't think anything changes for this team," Bolles said of the 17-day stretch between Denver's final preseason game and the regular-season opener. "I think it just gives us extra time to work on our craft, to make sure that we're dialed in."
Surtain, who said he has developed his own method for preparing for season openers as he enters his sixth year in the league, also expressed confidence that the Broncos will be ready to go in Week 1.
"I think these three [preseason] games really helped us," Surtain said. "… I think we're right on track, right on cue for the season to start. And I think collectively, as a team, obviously we're itching for that Week 1 game. But I just feel like we're taking the right steps and the right approach to go into KC Week 1."
