Bo Nix is Better Than John Elway
Bo Nix is better than John Elway. At least, when you compare their stats through their first 26 starts, he is.
As the Denver Broncos beat the Houston Texans 18-15 on Sunday, a graphic came onto the screen showing Bo Nix is better than John Elway.
Well, that's not what it said. It said "Mile High Standard" and compared the two quarterbacks' stats through 25 games.
And, in reality, it's not even close.
Bo Nix is Better Than John Elway
Through 26 starts, Bo Nix is better than John Elway. Young John Elway, at least.
Here's a visual look at a few of the stats through the two Denver QBs' first 25 starts.
Different era but still. Good numbers for Bo.
— Rich Kurtzman 🍃🦃🏈 (@sportsballitics.bsky.social) 2025-11-02T20:28:57.933Z
Let's expand it a little bit further. Now, after 26 starts with the Texans win included:
John Elway: 17-9 (QB wins is not a stat), 4,698 yards, 30 TD, 31 INT, 396 rushing yards 2 TD
Bo Nix: 17-9, 5,751 yards, 46 TDs, 18 INT, 637 rushing yards, 7 TD
This is a different era, as explained below, but the passing prowess of Nix far exceeds early Elway. It's not just the passing yards per game (221.2-180.7) but also the touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Elway threw for more interceptions than TDs during his first 26 starts, with a 0.96 ratio. Conversely, Nix has a 2.56 TD/INT ratio, meaning he throws 2.5 touchdowns for every pick. That's a huge difference!
When you zoom out and look at Elway's 16-year career, he only mustered a 1.32 TD/INT ratio. Even his best year (1993, 25-10) wasn't as good as Nix's average. Albeit, Nix's career is a small sample size.
And when it comes to running, Nix is clearly better there, too.
That's saying something because Elway was a rambling and rumbling, physical and fast-for-a-quarterback player. Still, Nix has averaged nearly 10 yards more than Elway on the ground per game (24.5-15.2) and the current Broncos QB has 3.5 times as many scores.
Of note: Nix has more touchdowns (54) than any QB in his 2024 draft class, despite being the sixth quarterback taken. Jayden Daniels is second with 41, Drake Maye has 37, and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams has scored 34 times.
The 52 touchdowns in his first 25 games were the fifth-most in NFL history behind Patrick Mahomes (70), Justin Herbert (60), Deshaun Watson (57), and Daunte Culpepper (55).
This is a Different Era of Football
Now, as I mentioned on Bluesky, it's a different era. We all must acknowledge that much from jump.
Elway's first 26 starts came in 1983-1985; that's 40 years ago!
Since then, the NFL has completely changed it's rules in how defenses play the game. Today, there's illegal contact, pass interference is called much more often, and even quarterbacks are protected by low and late hits.
Those changes have heavily tilted the game in the favor of offense. Why? Because scoring more points is fun.
Back in 1985, which is when Elway earned his 26th start, the San Diego Chargers' 29.2 points per game led the league. This year, those Chargers would be fifth-best. The Colts' 32.2 PPG is currently best.
40 years ago, only three teams passed for 30-plus touchdowns in the season. Last year, eight teams hit that mark.
The only guy who was coming close to modern day quarterback production was Dan Marino. And even he had a lot of turnover problems, with a mere 1.7 TD/INT ratio.
The differences in eras are deeper than the officiating. Offenses are more complicated—way more intricate—than they were in the 80s or 90s. And receivers are more athletic. And thanks to guys like Shannon Sharpe—who revolutionized the tight end position with Elway as his QB—tight ends are basically receivers on the end of the line now. They were mainly blockers back in the day.
Finally, in this new era of football, it's not simply a luxury to be able to run, it's a necessity. Elway's running was an added bonus. Nix has to be able to run the ball, for crucial first downs and touchdowns, to help move the offense.
Think of all the current great quarterbacks. Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes; they all have wheels and know when to use them. Young, up and coming quarterbacks like Nix, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and Caleb Williams know they have to be able to run if they want to make it to that great level. (Unfortunately Daniels, the reigning Rookie of the Year, severely injured his non-throwing elbow this week while running. There’s always risk.)
On Sunday, Nix only ran three times, but two of those carries came on the team's game-winning drive.
Facing a 2nd and 7 from Denver's 39, all of the Broncos receivers were covered so Nix tucked the ball and ran. Not just for a first down, but for 25 yards and moved Denver into field goal range.
What does it mean if Bo Nix has better stats than John Elway?
Bo Nix is a better quarterback than John Elway in their first 26 starts. That much is clear.
Nix is a better passer and a better runner than very young John Elway was. Another way to say it is: Nix has a higher floor than Elway.
But what we don't know yet is: Does Bo Nix have a higher ceiling than Elway did?
It's important to keep in mind that Elway wasn't at his peak during his first three years. He won NFL MVP in 1987, the strike-shortened year. That was his fifth season.
Even when he was Peak Elway™️ in 1993, he was never a stats-oriented quarterback. John Elway won with a rocket launcher arm, a relentless will, with strength and swagger. He had 40 game winning drives and 31 4th quarter comebacks in the regular season, but some of those were due to his turnovers early in games getting the Broncos in trouble. And others were due to the lack of offensive talent around him.
By the very nature of the NFL today, Nix is bound to have better stats.
But whether or not Nix will develop into an NFL MVP and all-time legend is simply not knowable at this moment. And it's more unlikely than it is likely.
That win over the Eagles was pretty legendary, though. And the NFL record-setting 4th quarter comeback against the Giants was definitely legendary.
Rich Kurtzman
But Nix needs to be more consistent. He needs to keep growing. Which it seems like he's doing.
One positive is he's gotten into his groove this year a bit earlier in the season than he did last year. And even when he doesn't have a good game statistically, he can still lead the team to victory.
He had an ugly game against Houston—2nd-worst passer rating this year of 68.9—but he managed to make winning plays when it mattered most. Hey, that's Elway-esque.
But the modern day Elway is Josh Allen. Nix's old school comp. is, maybe...Steve Young? He was incredibly accurate for his time and ran the ball like crazy. Nix was the most-accurate college QB in history and has started his career with much better accuracy than Elway or Allen.
For now, Sean Payton and his Broncos have found their franchise quarterback, no matter how high his ceiling ends up being. Denver's run off six straight wins, the longest streak since 2015 for the team. And they not only look like a lock to make the playoffs again, but they have a real shot of winning the AFC West for the first time in a decade.
Sit back and enjoy the ride, Broncos Country.
