Sean Payton throws major support behind Broncos’ Bo Nix despite struggles

It has been a rough start to the year for Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, and the criticism has come from every direction during his slow start. Nix has limited his interceptions to just three this year, but that is just about the only improvement in his game, if you were to ask the national media at large.

The talk around Nix has been asinine for his entire career, but it hit a new low this year. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a temper tantrum on air after the Broncos beat the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in a game in which Sam Darnold threw two crucial interceptions, mind you, and every analyst seems to know for sure that it is time for the Broncos to move on from Bo.

You know who disagrees? The future Hall of Fame head coach - and he disagrees in a major way.

Sean Payton just gave Bo Nix a major boost of confidence with one key quote

In a spot on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports, the Broncos' head coach threw all of his confidence behind his quarterback and settled any supposed controversy around the Broncos' quarterback position. Payton conceded that there is a good amount that the Broncos' offense can do to make Nix's job easier, and that Nix himself has been far from the only issue.

I know we have the right quarterback in the building. I have just seen it in the behavior, the things that you need in clutch moments, the arm strength. That was probably the biggest narrative relative to him was the arm strength. He has way above average arm talent.

- Sean Payton (via The Herd)

There have been plenty of critics who jump on Nix, and rumblings that Payton has leaked his displeasure to the media have been fairly consistent over the past three years, but this is anything but. Payton threw his full support behind his quarterback, and he has every reason to. In a rare moment, Payton went on national television and supported his franchise quarterback.

First and foremost, all Nix and Payton have done is win. The duo is 31-12 in their short time together, and there is every reason to believe that the top-seeded 2025 Broncos would have won a Lamar Hunt trophy last year and beaten the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. The duo is a proven winner together, and that is what matters the most.

Secondly, Nix has had a mixed bag of skill players in his professional career. The only constant has been receiver Courtland Sutton, and while the two have had some incredible moments, he is far from a game-breaking receiver that many of the top quarterbacks in the NFL have. The likes of Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin have been good complementary pieces, but Nix has been able to lead the Broncos to football's best record since the start of the 2025 season at 21-5.

It was also great to hear Payton push back on some of the nonsense critiques of Nix that have been thrown out nonstop since he broke into the league. Nix is consistently called a checkdown merchant and game manager, but those who watch the Broncos and know this offense understand that the Broncos like to get their playmakers in open space, and that it tends to happen behind the line of scrimmage.

But when Nix wants to air the ball out? Boy does he have a rocket launcher attached to his shoulder.

We have seen time and time again that he can absolutely thread the needle when he wants to. Not every throw is a 70-yard rocket like his game-changing, 65-yard dime to Marvin Mims in 2024 in Cincinnati against the Bengals. Even this past week, in their victory over the Carolina Panthers, Nix was able to hit Bryant for a major score in the fourth quarter with a seed-of-a-throw into the end zone.

Nix had a window to throw it into between two defensive backs, and threw a fastball to his receiver for 30 yards in the air.

Nix has been everything the Broncos could have asked for when they drafted him, and it is clear that Payton recognizes that as well. He is not only the future at the quarterback position for the Broncos, but also the present. At 21-5 over their past two seasons, Nix and Payton have one elite skill together: winning football games. If they keep it up, it could result in a fourth Super Bowl title for the franchise.

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