Bo Nix made his long-awaited return to game action for the Denver Broncos on Friday night, taking the field in their second preseason matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Upon his return, Nix immediately grabbed headlines after connecting with newly acquired wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on an eye-catching play, which already has the NFL world taking notice of what the duo could bring to the table once the regular season kicks off.
Bo Nix-Jaylen Waddle Connection Immediately Turns Heads
Nix took his first game snaps in 216 days on Friday. After sitting out Denver’s preseason opener, the quarterback looked sharp in his return and wasted little time making an impact, gift-wrapping a 35-yard pass to Waddle for an explosive gain.
The play immediately generated plenty of excitement across the NFL world.
“BO NIX TO JAYLEN WADDLE. GET USED TO IT,” Ryan Koenigsberg, Co-host of the DNVR Broncos Podcast, wrote.
BO NIX TO JAYLEN WADDLE
GET USED TO IT
— RK (@RyanKoenigsberg) August 22, 2026
Lucky Football compared Nix and Waddle to the legendary New England Patriots quarterback-wide receiver duo of Tom Brady and Randy Moss.
Bo Nix and Jaylen Waddle pic.twitter.com/q99PXcB0RP
— Lucky Football (@LuckyFunNFL) August 22, 2026
START PREPARING: PFN’s Free Fantasy Draft Simulator
“Bo Nix year 3 throwing dimes to Waddle in Denver. Good luck, AFC West,” WheretoWatch Sports remarked.
Bo Nix year 3 throwing dimes to Waddle in Denver. good luck AFC West https://t.co/7FYJsVSbGj
— wheretowatchsports (@WTWSportsLive) August 22, 2026
“Jaylen Waddle in a Broncos uniform will take some getting used to. Also, look at Waddle have to wait on the ball thrown late and behind,” PFN’s Matt Infante wrote.
“Broncos Offense Stock” is about to skyrocket, a Denver Sports Analyst for Mile High Sports shared. “Jaylen Waddle is already doing The Exact Thing you brought him in to do!” co-host of The Golics chimed in.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator
Nix later found himself back in the spotlight when he connected with running back RJ Harvey on a wheel route for a 21-yard touchdown. He finished the outing 6-of-9 passing for 76 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
The Broncos’ star quarterback had been sidelined since fracturing his right ankle during Denver’s AFC Divisional Round playoff victory over Buffalo in January 2026. The injury required an initial surgery to repair the fracture, followed by a minor cleanup procedure to address bone spurs before training camp.
Nix had 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions last season, earning the No.19 spot in PFN’s QB Impact Rankings.
The 26-year-old returned to full-team drills and 7-on-7 work during summer minicamp before clearing all protocols ahead of training camp. Sean Payton subsequently indicated that Nix had returned to full speed and was participating normally in practice.
Now entering his third NFL season, Nix is preparing to lead a Denver offense that is bringing back much of its key core. He spent much of August developing chemistry with Waddle, and their 35-yard connection in his preseason return offered an early glimpse of what that developing partnership could produce when the games begin to count.
