DENVER — Bo Nix isn’t just playing; he’s tearing up the record books. After a blistering 2025 season where he aired it out for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns, the Denver Broncos quarterback cemented his name among the elite Alabama high school NFL passing leaders. Only two seasons into his pro career, Nix boasts 7,706 career passing yards. He vaulted past Vigor High School’s Scott Hunter to grab the No. 7 spot on the state’s all-time list.
The former Pinson Valley star joins a rare tier of quarterbacks. To put his historic pace into perspective, Los Angeles Chargers star Justin Herbert is the only other player in NFL history to match Nix’s combined passing yards and passing touchdowns in their first two seasons. The Broncos trusted Nix to run the offense, and he rewarded them by carving up secondaries week after week.
While Nix represents the new wave of Alabama talent, the old guard made serious noise in 2025. In one of the wildest storylines of the year, 44-year-old Philip Rivers (Athens) shocked the football world. Stepping out of a five-year retirement, Rivers suited up for the Indianapolis Colts to salvage an injury-riddled quarterback room. He padded his lead at the No. 1 spot, throwing for 544 yards in three games. Rivers sits untouchable at the top of the mountain with 63,984 career passing yards.
Meanwhile, in New York, Hueytown’s own Jameis Winston made history of his own. Winston logged two starts for the Giants, tossing for 567 yards. Those crucial yards pushed him past Green Bay Packers legend Bart Starr into third place on the state’s all-time list, right behind Ken Stabler. Winston now holds 24,792 career passing yards.
“I knew I had a little ball left in me. 1,800 days you haven’t played football and you’re worried you can’t do it. Shoot, the only way to find out is if you go for it.”
— Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts (on his sudden 2025 comeback)
Five quarterbacks from Alabama high schools threw an NFL pass during the 2025 campaign. Alongside Nix, Rivers, and Winston, Nick Mullens (Spain Park) added 19 yards for the Jacksonville Jaguars, holding strong at No. 10 all-time. The fresh face in the group, Fairhope’s Riley Leonard, stepped up as a rookie for the Colts. Leonard completed 39 passes for 415 yards and two touchdowns, giving fans a glimpse of the next generation.
Denver’s front office knows they hit the jackpot. Nix’s ability to read defenses and protect the football—tossing just 11 interceptions in 2025—gives the Broncos a legitimate franchise anchor. Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft and free agency, expect Denver to aggressively build a wall around Nix. They need to supply him with premium pass-catchers to maximize his rookie contract window. The AFC West runs through Kansas City, but Nix proved the Broncos are finally ready to fire back.
