In this autumn of Bo Nix’s hard fall, our no-good, delusional quarterback has gone from playing for $250 million to playing for his job.
I’ve seen the Broncos’ future.
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And if the team does it right, Nix isn’t in it.
The idea that Denver coach Sean Payton will reach down the chute for his quarterback’s lost confidence and somehow fix Nix?
That’s cute.
With his recent kid-gloves treatment of Nix in dink-and-dunk offensive game plans, Payton has been reduced to serving as the football version of a kindergarten cop, sending in plays with such elementary passing concepts that it appears the coach has already started to move on from his ride-or-die relationship with Nix.
While I feel your angst, Broncos Country and hate to disappoint you with a hot take to add fuel to a raging fire of discontent, I’m going to leave it to some other knuckleheads to advocate for Payton to bench Nix in favor of Jarrett Stidham.
At best, Stiddy is a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency quarterback, rather than any smart football man’s idea of a permanent solution.
OK, here’s one bone I will toss to the Bo Bashers.
In a pinch, I could see Payton tapping Stidham to relieve Nix in a game. Maybe two.
But Payton watched the AFC Championship Game that abruptly ended Denver’s playoff run last season, just like you and me.
Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) runs with the ball in the 3rd quarter of the AFC Championship against the Patriots at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)
Even through the blizzard of that loss to New England, anyone with eyes could see the limitations of Stidham. And it would be a complete snow job to suggest he could lead the Broncos to the Super Bowl.
The 2027 NFL draft class, however, is loaded with bona fide QB talent. If the Broncos don’t identify, target and make an aggressive move in the first round to grab one of the hot prospects, they’re doing it wrong.
No, I’m not talking about Arch Manning.
If not born into America’s royal family of quarterbacks, Manning wouldn’t be regarded by any objective observer as a top-10 prospect.
In fact, I’d be shocked if he doesn’t return to the Longhorns in ‘27, because the pay’s too good in Austin to step into the NFL fire before Manning is ready.
But Darian Mensah of Miami, CJ Carr of Notre Dame, Drew Mestemaker of Oklahoma State and Austin Simmons of Missouri all possess quarterback skills that Nix can only tap in his dreams.
After beating Seattle, Nix said: “We’re really, for some reason, struggling to find those explosive plays.”
For some reason, Nix refuses to acknowledge the No. 1 reason for Denver’s dud of an offense is him. His 5.6 yards per pass attempt is the worst of any starter in the league.
In an NFL nation where the sport, the media and the fans all have an unhealthy obsession with quarterbacks, you’re either a QB headed for the Hall of Fame or the scrap heap.
Fair or not, it’s a binary choice.
Welcome to the grinder, Bo.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, top, passes as Los Angeles Chargers safety Tony Jefferson, center, dives over running back J.K. Dobbins during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Nix is caught in the same QB chipper that has chewed up, diced and spit out everyone from Baker Mayfield to Sam Darnold.
Heck, the only reason Peyton Manning became a beloved Denver celebrity is because Indianapolis (of all places!) ran him out of town.
Truth be known, Nix is far from the only offender making the Denver offense stink to high heaven.
While J.K. Dobbins can still run his mouth with the best of them, he can’t hide from the fact his 3.3 yards per carry is off a whopping 34 percent from his career average.
At age 31, has receiver Courtland Sutton’s ability to get separation gone over the hill?
At a salary cap hit of nearly $24 million, the work Mike McGlinchey is doing at right tackle is an absolute waste of money.
There are some stubborn Bo-lievers so drunk on orange Kool-Aid that they won’t accept the fact that NFL defensive coordinators have finally figured out ways to make the Broncos pay for the limitations Nix brought with him into the league back in 2025.
After wiping away years of tears caused by Paxton Lynch, Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater, Broncos Country was so thrilled by Nix’s baseline competency that some fans mistakenly thought they saw the second coming of John Elway.
Although better days are ahead for Nix (because it couldn’t possibly get worse), he is not the long-term answer for the Broncos.
Investing a quarter-billion dollars in him with a contract extension would be madness.
But here’s the tricky part:
While Payton can give Nix some tough love, the coach can’t hate on him with the disdain once shown Russell Wilson.
Why?
Nix is bad.
He is, however, the best QB the Broncos have got.
And this defense can win any game for Denver from here through the playoffs. If he can devise tricks to prevent Nix from messing it up, Payton deserves strong consideration as Coach of the Year.
Buckle up, buttercups.
The road to the Super Bowl is going to be a bumpy ride.