San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had some high praise for Denver Broncos' quarterback Bo Nix ahead of their preseason matchup this past weekend.
49ers Head Coach Reveals Surprising Praise for Broncos' Bo Nix originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers finished their first week of preseason this weekend, practicing together on Thursday and facing off in each team's preseason opener on Saturday night. While each team was focused on their own preparation, 49ers' head coach Kyle Shanahan had some high praise for Broncos' quarterback Bo Nix.
Denver drafted Nix with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and he quickly earned the starting job for his rookie season. Nix put up impressive numbers in 2024, passing for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns, while throwing just 12 interceptions. He also added another 492 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
The young quarterback led the Broncos to a 10-7 record and a wild card spot in the AFC playoffs. It was the first time the Broncos made the playoffs in nine years.
Following an impressive rookie season, there are high expectations for Nix heading into his second year in the NFL. Before Denver's preseason opener against the 49ers, Shanahan was asked about his thoughts on the Broncos' young quarterback, and he had nothing but praise for Nix.
Bo Nix with one of the most beautiful deep balls you will see all offseason 🚀
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 4, 2025
Nix is such a special player.pic.twitter.com/cEJ9Rklzpp
“Yeah, huge fan of him," Shanahan said. "We loved him coming out of college. I thought what he did last year was unbelievable, but anytime you’ve got a quarterback with a big arm who is very mobile, made of the right stuff, extremely tough. They got a real good one.”
Shanahan wasn't shy about praising the second-year quarterback; his performance in college and into his rookie year provides good reason for that. Nix played five years of college football and threw over 15,000 yards and 113 touchdowns.
Similarly, the 49ers drafted quarterback Brock Purdy in 2022 after playing four years of college football. The Iowa State product threw for more than 12,000 yards and 81 touchdowns. Although Purdy was the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, and Nix was a first-round pick in 2024, they both had loads of college experience.
After earning the starting job late in the season, and leading the 49ers to the playoffs in his rookie year, Purdy has blossomed into the franchise quarterback in San Francisco over the last two years. The 49ers rewarded him with a five-year, $265 million contract extension this offseason.
Nix had an impressive rookie season, and is expected to make another leap forward in his second year in the NFL. Shanahan believes the Broncos 'got a real good one' in the Oregon standout, and head coach Sean Payton agrees. If Nix continues this upward trajectory, he could follow in the footsteps of Shanahan's quarterback in San Francisco.
Related: Broncos Receiver Earns High Praise From Sean Payton After Preseason Catch
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
