Ex-Saints Star Weighs In on Sean Payton’s View of Bo Nix After Sideline Spat

Sean Payton brushed off his sideline interaction with rookie first-round pick Bo Nix in the Denver Broncos Week 5 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Nix appeared agitated with his coach, wearing his emotions on his sleeve in a demonstrative display.

Nix also downplayed the interaction during his postgame media availability.

However, former New Orleans Saints tackle Terron Armstead – now of the Miami Dolphins – believes the encounter could have a positive impact.

“Bo just became Sean’s favorite player!” Armstead posted on X, sharing a clip of the exchange.

Armstead played nine years playing for Payton with the Saints, earning three of his five career trips to the Pro Bowl. Armstead also blocked for a Pro Bowl quarterback in Drew Brees.

Brees offered fitting advice to Nix on handling the fiery and demanding Payton.

“Be just as demanding right back to him. Sean likes that, Sean wants to see you confident,” Brees told Fox Sports 1’s Colin Cowherd on “The Herd” on September 26. “We got to the point where, man, he knows that. He knows that I knew that I made the mistake, right? He doesn’t need to be yelling and screaming at me.

“For a young quarterback, who he’s trying to really teach, and coach and kind of get on the same page with him, there’s probably going to be a lot more of that. And he’ll be pretty firm with you at times.

“I think Sean loves that [firmness] coming back from the quarterback.”

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Bo Nix, Sean Payton Downplay Sideline Scene in Broncos’ Win

Payton had a now-infamous blowup with former Broncos QB Russell Wilson on the sidelines during the Broncos’ Week 15 loss to the Detroit Lions in 2023.

Payton downplayed that altercation, saying he was yelling about the call. But it became a national storyline. But if what happened with Wilson was at all similar to what happened with Nix, the rookie passed the test.

“It’s part of the deal,” Payton told reporters after the game. “Listen, last year all of a sudden I was – It’s just there’s still a little bit of Ferris Bueller in this player that we got to get rid of, alright? I’m talking about Bo, and I love him to death. And so sometimes it’s my love language alright?”

Nix went along with the bit.

“Well, he turned and looked to me and said, ‘I love you.’ And I turned and said, ‘I love you’ back,” Nix told reporters on October 6.

“I’ve watched the movie. But I think that’s funny. And that literally, I think, explains the situation. That we’re just out there with great competitive intensity and fire. And we can have those conversations and move right back along and score another few touchdowns. That doesn’t bother us.”

Payton was asked what he meant by his description.

“Ferris was kind of quirky, doing his own thing once in a while,” Payton said. “He’s still got a little Ferris Bueller in him.

“There are times where you send something in, and then I don’t want it flipped. And then it gets flipped because – and so it’s all good. He works his tail off and I am that way. And so, that just is what it is and, yeah. That’s it.”

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Bo Nix Dons John Elway Jersey

Nix took the podium donning a John Elway jersey in conjunction with the Broncos’ alumni weekend, and afterward, he explained his choice.

“Growing up, he was my dad’s favorite quarterback,” Nix said. “So being a Bronco now, with everything that he’s done to lay this foundation for the guys that come after him and can play quarterback at a high level, and with my dad, that history him being my dad’s favorite player, it’s just two guys that have put me in a situation to go out there and succeed.

“It was a great day to kind of pay tribute to those that came before you, and I had had it in the closet and wanted to put it to use.”

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