Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was throwing again in Denver on Friday night, but with a different kind of ball. Nix took the mound at Coors Field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch as the Colorado Rockies opened a three-game interleague series against the New York Yankees.
Nix said his offseason program had included throwing a baseball, so he was ready for Friday night’s assignment and delivered a strike.
The Rockies could use some of what Nix brought to the Broncos in his rookie season. Denver won 10 games and made its first playoff appearance since 2015 last season after selecting Nix 12th in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Colorado entered Friday night’s game with an 8-42 record, the worst 50-game start in Major League Baseball history.
“I know they’ve had a tough go at it at the beginning,” Nix said. “But they’re professionals, and they’re going to handle it the right way. I’m excited to see them continue to push forward and continue to work. Not everything in life is easy. I think they’re extremely blessed and grateful for the opportunity to be Major Leaguers, and they’re going to find a way through it.”
Nix won Alabama’s Mr. Football award at Pinson Valley High School in 2018 and played the next three seasons at Auburn. He transferred to Oregon, where he played two seasons and finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy in 2023.
For the Broncos in 2024, Nix passed for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns – the eighth-most yards and second-most TD passes for a rookie in NFL history – and ran for 430 yards and four touchdowns on 92 carries. Forty-one of Nix’s rushing attempts resulted in first downs.
“We’re excited for a good Year 2,” Nix said before taking the mound. “A lot of work to be done, but we’re excited to start practicing. …
“We got a good schedule, a tough schedule, a lot of times to go out there and prove ourselves. That’s what we want to do. We just want to play good football, not only for the organization, but for the city and for each individual teammate.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.