Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix ‘Jealous’ Of Brother Tez Johnson, Oregon Ducks’ Rose Bowl

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix has put the NFL on notice in his rookie season, leading the Denver Broncos to a 9-7 record and a chance to clinch a spot in the NFL Playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Nix has been busy, seemingly breaking a record every week, most recently for a beautifully deep touchdown pass against Cincinnati that traveled 67 “air yards” — earning the longest completion of any quarterback in the 2024 season.

Nix remains an avid Ducks supporter as he cheers on Johnson, former teammates and coach Dan Lanning. Johnson is Oregon’s leading receiver and fresh off his best game yet in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. no. 3 Penn State, and caught 11 passes for a career-high 181 yards and a touchdown en route to being named the game’s MVP.

The duo of brothers Nix and Johnson starred for the Ducks in 2023, leading Oregon to a 12-2 overall record and a win over Liberty in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. A successful season by many, but Oregon fell short of its ultimate goal – to compete for a national championship in the College Football Playoff.

Now No. 1 Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the iconic Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day with a chance to punch their ticket to the CFP semifinals. The opportunity is one that Johnson does not take lightly.

“I was on the phone with Bo and he was like, ‘I’m so jealous’… He says he’s jealous all the time. He’ll be the first to tell you, because of everything he wanted to do was playing in the College Football Playoff,” Johnson said.

“But now that I’m in the Rose Bowl and just showing it off, everybody’s happy for me,” Johnson continued. “I’m happy with myself, but we know we have more to go. But I’ve definitely reflected on it and I don’t want it to end any time soon.”

How does Johnson respond to Nix’s envy?

“I’ll say, ‘Well, you can win a Super Bowl.’ It’s better. You can win a Super Bowl and be one of the best quarterbacks in the entire country.”

Nix and the Broncos play the Kansas City Chiefs in Denver on Sunday in a game with massive NFL playoff implications. However, Nix is ​​excited to watch the Oregon game on Wednesday, and Johnson says he plans to attend a game soon.

“He’s very excited to see us play,” Johnson said. “He’s going to a game here soon. So it’s going to be electric when he comes back. I can’t wait to see him. I haven’t seen him since he was drafted.”

Johnson is also cheering for Nix, admitting that Denver’s overtime loss to Cincinnati last Saturday made his heart pound.

“Just texting him every day after the games. . . . Even though he made my heart go in and out of my chest for the Broncos vs. Cincinnati. It’s games like that I watch him play and you see, wow , that boy is still doing the same thing since he was a kid. So I love him to death. He’s my brother.”

The Ducks bring a perfect 13-0 record into “The Granddaddy of Them All” and will look to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals for the second time in program history.

In arguably the most significant regular-season victory in program history, the Ducks upset the Buckeyes in front of a record crowd at Autzen Stadium nearly three months ago. Johnson has noticed key differences in the Buckeyes team now compared to October.

“They’re playing with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder right now. And we’re seeing that.” Johnson said. “They are a really good team. They are a hot engine team. They have really good coaches behind them.”

“We also play with a chip. They’re not the only ones,” Johnson added.

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Despite achieving no. 1 seed in the playoffs, Oregon is the underdog to Ohio State. Many doubt the Ducks’ ability to beat the Buckeyes twice in one season. If the Ducks beat the Buckeyes, they would be the first team to beat Ohio State twice in the same season since 1894.

Oregon would then advance to the College Football Playoff Semifinals in Arlington, Texas to play the winner of Arizona State vs. Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

For Johnson, Wednesday will be a chance to extend his Oregon career. The receiver gets emotional as he talks about his Duck heritage. When he arrived in Los Angeles for the game, Johnson’s girlfriend sent him a picture of his face on a Rose Bowl billboard in the City of Angels, and he said he couldn’t help but cry.

“I’m like, there’s no way I’m here right now,” Johnson said. “I’m literally wearing the Rose Bowl jacket.”

Despite missing nearly three full games due to injury, Johnson has a chance to etch his name further into Oregon history. Johnson is just eight receptions away from Oregon’s single-season receptions record of 86, which he set in 2023.

The Rose Bowl starts at 2:00 PM PT New Year’s Day.