There is arguably no quarterback in the NFL under more scrutiny in 2026 than Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
Thankfully for Nix, he has a chance to change the narrative with just one performance.
Since he got to the NFL, Nix has always been a bit of a slow starter. That includes both the start of the season itself and the individual games. But at some point, he seems to figure it out and start to put together a hot streak.
There would be no better time for that to happen than against the Seattle Seahawks. Going up against the Mike Macdonald defense has humbled even some of the best quarterbacks in the league. Nix finding a way to play his best game of the season on a short week against it would shut a lot of folks up.
Bo Nix can change the discourse with one big game on Thursday
Let's make one thing very clear: Bo Nix deserves the criticism he's facing right now.
At least, to a degree.
Head coach Sean Payton said after the Broncos' win against the Chargers on Sunday that he wants to see Nix "let it rip" out there on the field, an indicator of Nix's low confidence and perhaps the fact that he's gunshy.
Although some folks are using Nix's struggles as a way to confirm the idea that he's simply always been terrible and is showing his true colors, anyone who is any semblance of level-headed knows that the frustration surrounding Nix's play so far this season has more to do with what he's proven in the past.
When we've seen Nix at his best, he can beat the best quarterbacks in the league. He's gotten it done against Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, Dak Prescott, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, and even the mythical Justin Herbert now. Even in some of Nix's worst games as a pro, he's been able to make enough plays to beat not only the best quarterbacks head-to-head, but some of the best defenses in the league.
Remember last year's game against the Texans on the road? Remember on the road against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles?
All it takes is one performance from Nix to shut down the narratives of his demise as a potential franchise quarterback. It's still premature to even be talking about this, but it's justified to say that the jury is still out on whether or not Nix has proven himself worthy of getting a big-money extension from the Broncos, which he's eligible for after this season.
As of right now, that discussion has to be tabled.
What we need to see right now is the guy who ran for 25 yards to set up a game-winning field goal against the Texans. What we need to see against Seattle is the guy who threw four touchdown passes against the Packers, or who carved up the #1 ranked pass defense in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
The tension with Bo Nix's play right now is not that he can't do it, it's that he isn't doing it. There's a big distinction to be made there right now, because the detractors are leaning into the former instead of the latter.
Like a hitter in baseball who needs to make an in-season swing adjustment, or a cold shooter in basketball who needs to get his shot back, Bo Nix is simply struggling with things we already know he can do. It would be a different discussion if he had never thrown downfield in the past, or if he had never made big throws downfield in the past.
He's literally done it this year. Just go watch the Jaguars game.
But there is no question that Nix's confidence has been shaken to a significant degree. Of course, your mind immediately goes to the injury he suffered in the playoffs last season and the lingering effects of that.
Is his ankle still bothering him? Does he have mental hurdles he's yet to clear after the injury? Did he not get enough on-field reps during the offseason because of his surgeries and recovery?
At some point, I'm expecting the turning point from Nix. It's absolutely fair to be critical of his play in the meantime and give him his share of the blame for the offense's struggles. That criticism has been earned.
But finding a way to play his best game of the season on a short week against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks? There would be no arguing that.
All it's going to take for reassurance in Broncos Country is seeing Bo Nix play like Bo Nix for a game. To know that that guy is still in there after what we've seen so far this season.
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