NFL Thursday Night Football headlined by former Oregon football QBs Justin Herbert, Bo Nix

Posted by Admin December 19, 2024 Football

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Former Oregon stars competing in the NFL against one another is nothing new to the Ducks, but Thursday Night Football’s matchup between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers will be a special occasion, regardless.

The matchup will feature two of the Ducks’ most accomplished quarterbacks in recent memory, with Justin Herbert captaining the Chargers (8-6) and Bo Nix leading the playoff-seeking Broncos (9-5).

The matchup is crucial in the AFC wild card race, with the Broncos sitting in sixth and the Chargers in the seventh and final wild card spot heading into the game. It’s the second time the teams have faced this season, with Herbert and the Chargers getting the better of the Broncos, 23-16, in Week 6.

Herbert carried a questionable status for Thursday’s game early in the week due to an ankle injury, and as of Wednesday his availability for the game was uncertain.

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The former Oregon standouts have near-identical passing numbers through 14 games this season, with Herbert in his fifth season and Nix a rookie.

Justin Herbert and Bo Nix’s NFL stats and journeys for Oregon football

Herbert has passed for 2,959 yards, 16 touchdowns and thrown just two interceptions, while Nix has thrown for 2,972 yards and 20 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. Nix has also rushed for 327 yards and four scores and caught a touchdown pass, while Herbert has 224 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Herbert, who starred at Eugene’s Sheldon High before enrolling at his hometown school in 2016, is all over Oregon’s all-time passing lists. The former 6th overall pick in 2020 is first on UO’s all-time pass completions list (827), third in completion percentage (64%), second in passing yards (10,541), second in passing touchdowns (95), second in career wins (29) and first in career starts at Oregon (42).

In his senior season, Herbert led the Ducks to its last Rose Bowl victory against Wisconsin in the 2020 game.

Nix, who transferred from Auburn to join Dan Lanning in 2022, played two seasons at Oregon and made those two seasons count. He put together career years in each of his two seasons, including a senior season that broke the national single-season completion percentage record (77.4%). His passing yards (4,508) and touchdowns (45) broke Oregon single-season records.

Though he played just two seasons, Nix finished third on Oregon’s career list for pass completions (658), first in completion percentage (74.9%), fifth in passing yards (8,101) and third in touchdown passes (74). His 22 wins as quarterback over two seasons ranks sixth in Oregon history despite not appearing in the top 10 in career starts at UO.

Nix led the Ducks to a Fiesta Bowl victory last season against Liberty and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2023.

Herbert and Nix won’t be the only Ducks representing Oregon in the game, with the Chargers also rostering linebacker Troy Dye and the Broncos featuring center Alex Forsyth and receiver Troy Franklin. Offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton is on Denver’s practice squad.

The game Thursday will kick off at 5:15 p.m. from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and will stream on Amazon Prime Video.

Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz.