Former Broncos player threw some serious shade at rookie QB Bo Nix

Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy wasn't the only former Denver Broncos player coming back to the Mile High City on Monday Night Football looking for a measure of revenge against his old team. Former Broncos defensive lineman Shelby Harris has been with the Cleveland Browns the last couple of seasons and has racked up 60 total tackles and 3 sacks since the start of the 2023 season.

Harris was an outstanding player for the Denver Broncos, good enough to be included in the infamous Russell Wilson trade with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022. And against the Broncos back in 2022, Harris got his revenge. The Seahawks outlasted the Broncos in a tight game in Seattle, and that one obviously had to feel good for Harris.

Since he's joined the Browns, however, Harris is 0-2 against the Broncos including Monday night's loss in which he got the chance to go up against Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Apparently, he wasn't overly impressed.

Speaking with fellow former Broncos Chris Harris Jr. and Ryan Harris on a podcast appearance, Harris was clearly not impressed by Nix. Either that, or he's not going to let Broncos fans have the satisfaction of knowing what he really thinks...

Former Broncos DL Shelby Harris criticizes rookie QB Bo Nix, compares him to Jayden Daniels

"I would say other than that big throw, Bo Nix isn't the most efficient quarterback out there. I think that he needs to make the little throws. It's a lot of flair. That big throw is going to get a lot of air time, but also, that was a throw that should have been an interception...

...He's still a rookie. Obviously the ceiling is there. He could be a very good quarterback, but, he did just enough. He lived off that defense. That defense really went and made plays for them to win the game.

...I played Jayden Daniels. I played Bo Nix. Jayden Daniels chopped our defense up. He really messed our defense up. Bo Nix still has a ways to go. He has the talent to be a great quarterback in this league, but in order for the Broncos to be successful in the playoffs, he's going to have to be better."

- Former Broncos DL Shelby Harris

This quote is honestly just wild on a number of levels. First of all, Harris moves the goalposts to discredit Nix's performance on Monday night, saying, "Other than that big throw..." which is ridiculous. You mean to tell me if you take away a 93-yard touchdown pass that the stats don't look as good.

Second, he says that throw should have been an interception. Browns cornerback Denzel Ward made an incredible break on the ball to even get close, but Nix's ball placement and velocity were too good for him to make a play. Ward was late. Too bad.

Third, Harris embarrasses himself by comparing Nix to Jayden Daniels. Daniels has been a good player as a rookie, of course, but to say he "chopped up" the Browns is disingenuous at best. He completed 56 percent of his passes in that game with one touchdown and one interception.

Nix helped lead the Broncos' offense to 27 points against the Browns' defense, and if it weren't for Denver's defense allowing 500 passing yards, maybe Nix wouldn't have thrown two interceptions.

At the end of the day, Harris's gripes with Nix are misplaced. Nix ranks 1st among NFL rookie quarterbacks in passing yards (2,842), 1st in passing TDs (17), 1st in total TDs (21), and 1st in completions (277). For Harris to say the things he did is proof that he's not just a Cleveland Brown, but he's green with envy as well.