The Denver Broncos are riding with Bo Nix.
“Sean Payton has NOT considered a change at QB,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens posted on X on October 19, adding that Payton said Nix is “going to become the byproduct of all of the things that get improved.”
Bo Nix will remain the starter.
Per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson, Payton also shouldered the blame for the lack of downfield attempts, asserting his confidence that too will be corrected.
Payton noted the Broncos are 4-2, despite the perceived turmoil.
Nevertheless, Payton and the Broncos are surely fully aware that they will only go as far as Nix takes them, as his absence from the 2025 AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots drilled home.
That being said, Payton is also at least partly to blame for the issues with Nix, as reports citing changes in terminology in the play-calling switch as factors in his slow start have emerged.
Broncos Have Bo Nix Problem as Benching, Trade Speculation Has Emerged
Amid the speculation about the Broncos possibly needing to trade for a quarterback, whispers of Nix being benched were even louder (and more realistic), but still not something that anyone sees coming soon.
NFL on Prime’s James Palmer spoke candidly about the situation, including referencing Ryan Fitzpatrick’s incendiary comments about Nix.
Palmer believes Nix is “their guy.”
“I haven’t heard from anybody that he’s not their guy. I haven’t heard from anybody that you know, he’s not their future,” Palmer said on “Up & Adams” on October 19. “They, obviously, have Arizona [in Week 7, then they have Kansas City. Are you going to play Jarrett Stidham, when you still have a good record, and you’re trying to chase down the Chiefs?
“That seems less likely than saying he’s going to play himself out of this funk. I think they do think that.”
Stidham struggled in relief of Nix last season. He appeared to face a challenge from Sam Ehlinger for the QB2 job this summer, but Payton stuck with the longest-tenured QB in the room.
Bo Nix Must Snap Out of ‘Serious Funk’
Palmer’s read on the situation is not all positive. Nix is indeed in a “serious funk” and “big time,” noting some ominous commentary around the Broncos’ third-year quarterback.
“There are people that believe he is seeing ghosts. He needs to see numbers over the middle of the field before he lets it loose. The ankle’s 100% healthy, Kay, but he doesn’t want to get hit. He’s avoiding contact at all costs. He’s not going for the extra yards like you saw him in the first two seasons,” Palmer said.
“You see him playing out there–and these aren’t my words–playing out there to make sure, he’s not the reason they lose the game. But also at the same time, it’s not playing to win the game. I think that’s the part Fitz was the most frustrated with.”
Palmer noted the strong defense and and Payton’s Super Bowl credentials.
However, he added that it is “almost like there’s a mindset that they want Bo to switch,” saying he the product on thee field “is not good football.”
Adding to the gravity of the situation is that Nix will be extension-eligible next season. The scrutiny and speculation will only intensify when that happens. How Nix performs for the Broncos over the next few months could determine a lot for the franchise moving forward.
Bo Nix Gets Point-Blank Message Amid Denver Broncos Speculation