Over the next week, the harshest criticism aimed at Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix will likely come from those calling out the 2024 1st-round pick for not playing hard.
Ex-Broncos quarterback Ben DiNucci threw more gasoline on the fire with a social media post after a 17-14 win over the Seattle Seahawks, prompting NFL on Prime analyst and former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to call Nix out for “disrespecting” the quarterback position.
“About time someone said it Bo looks disinterested, checked out, and like there are 500 places he would rather be than on a football field every week,” DiNucci wrote on his official X account on Friday morning. “I am a fan of the Broncos and wish them the best but I would rather watch paint dry right now than their offense play football.”
Nix went 17-of-27 passing for 107 yards against the Seahawks — the second-fewest passing yards in a single game in his career.
“Right now he looks like a quarterback who doesn’t want the football,” ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky said on Friday morning. “Especially in critical moments … he looks like a quarterback who doesn’t want the football in the most important moments because he doesn’t want the fingers pointed out him.”
“There are 701 qualified QB seasons through 6 games in the past 20 years,” CBS Sports researcher Doug Clawson wrote on X. “2026 Bo Nix ranks 701st out of 701 in average pass length (4.9 air yards per attempt) His avg pass was thrown behind the line of scrimmage in the 2nd half on Thursday.”
ESPN Analyst Urged Broncos to Bench Bo Nix
For the third consecutive season, Nix is off to a slow start — though this year, the leeway he’s getting, both internally and externally, seems different.
Even though the Broncos are now 4-2, ESPN’s Dan Graziano speculated that head coach Sean Payton might not have much patience for letting Nix work things out if their season starts to go down the tubes.
“I wonder how long the Broncos will go with Bo Nix if he doesn’t start playing better,” Graziano wrote on October 14. “They made the playcaller change for Week 5 and it didn’t seem to work, so you start to wonder if the problem isn’t the plays but the player.”
The Broncos have already made one big change on offense — head coach Sean Payton took playcalling duties away from offensive coordinator Webb Davis after the Week 4 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
“The Broncos play calling isn’t the issue,” Pick-a-Side Pod’s Joel Moran wrote on his official X account. “Bo Nix is the issue. Bailing out of clean pockets, turning down throws. This is terrible QB play.”
Bo Nix Addressed Struggles in Bizarre Fashion
Nix made some bizarre comments about his struggles speaking with the media before the Seahawks game — including that how he played was a matter of perception. Like we are just imagining that he looks horrible.
“Playing good and playing bad, it’s a narrative,” Nix said. “I think it’s honestly something we make up.”
After the Seahawks win, Nix’s comments came up again.
“Well he’s obviously lying,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on Friday morning. “He’s obviously dealing with something where, in the locker room, they’re likely saying he’s scared to play the position.”
Ex-Broncos QB Calls Bo Nix ‘Disinterested and Checked Out’ After Seahawks Win