Quarterback Bo Nix did not say much in response to a question about his surgically repaired ankle following the Denver Broncos’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4.
“CBS’ Melanie Collins earlier on the broadcast said #Broncos QB Bo Nix, ‘told us his ankle is pretty much back to 100% at this point. … Certainly there are some times when he experiences some swelling and stiffness after activity or a plane ride,’” The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel posted on X on October 4
“Nix said he feels ‘as healthy as ever.’”
Asked directly if that swelling has impacted his decisions to run during games, Nix simply answered, “No.”
Nix’s rushing attempts per game were already down from last season, a second straight campaign of decline. His two attempts in Week 4 were 2.8 fewer than he was averaging coming into the game.
Nix was the Broncos’ third-leading rusher in each of his first two seasons.
He ranked fifth on the team in rushing yards coming in, but he was second in carries with 12 for 15 yards (now a 14-25-0 line). The passing attack is also lacking.
One completion past 10-yards down the field.
Nix’s completion percentage and yards per attempt are both down this season. It is still early, but the Broncos have gotten out of the gate slower than they would have preferred, including Nix, particularly coming off a 14-win season in 2024.
“Bo Nix had 42 attempts today. His aDOT was 5.3 yards (3 yards worse than the NFL average). He was 5-for-13 against the blitz for 32 yards. He was 2-for-10 on passes beyond 10 yards. One of those was a coverage bust,” Niners Nation’s Kyle Posey posted on X after the game, adding, “Unethical hoops. Not my America. Can’t win with that.”
Bo Nix Still Confident in Bronos Coach
Among the myriad questions the now 2-2 Broncos face coming out of this contest is first-year offensive coordinator Davis Webb, in whom Nix said he still has fait.
“I’m real confident in him. I think when you look at the overall landscape, we’ve played four of the top teams in in the league, and not easy for a first-time OC as young as he is to go against some of the–quite frankly–the best teams in the league. So, he definitely is going to continue to work to put us in the right spots,” Nix told reporters after the game.
“This isn’t necessarily the first time in my three-year career we’ve scored 14 points, but I think it’s just, overall, something that we got to continue to help him and execute and, as players, got to put him in a better spot.”
Notably, Broncos head coach Sean Payton did not rule out taking back play-calling duties.
Payton did say that it was too early to consider such a move at this stage of the season, though, offering a bit of a reprieve for Webb.
“It’s too early to (consider). It’s a fair question. I appreciate it…
It’s tough to discuss any of that right now.”
Nix continued, “He says all the time, like any play caller, third-and-long, not many plays on that you know part of the sheet, especially when you’re in it over and over and over and over and over in the game. You run all those plays. You got to figure out which ones you want to come back to. They’ve already seen them. So, now you got to make adjustments. And so, we’re just not making it easy on him by any means right now. So we just got to help him.”
Bo Nix Shuts Down Speculation After Broncos Lose to 49ers