Bo Nix’s first month has left the Broncos searching for cleaner answers
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Four weeks into the 2026 season, Bo Nix is not producing the kind of numbers the Broncos expected from him.
That reality got sharper after Sunday’s 24-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, when the third-year quarterback’s place in a handful of major passing metrics painted a rough picture. Among 32 quarterbacks with at least 65 plays - including pass attempts, rushing attempts and sacks - heading into Monday night’s games, Nix ranked 22nd in adjusted EPA per play, 23rd in EPA per play, 24th in success rate, 27th in completion percentage over expected, 24th in ESPN QBR and 25th in passer rating.
Put together, those rankings averaged out to 24.2, which put him 25th of the 32 quarterbacks in that group. He finished ahead of Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers, Indianapolis’ Daniel Jones, Minnesota’s Kyler Murray, Miami’s Malik Willis, Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield, Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers and Jameis Winston of the New York Giants.
There is at least one twist in that list from Denver’s point of view: the Broncos will face Herbert next Sunday, and he has been struggling in a way he has not in his seven-season career.
Nix’s ankle also came into focus during the CBS broadcast Sunday. Sideline reporter Melanie Collins said he has moments when “he experiences some swelling and stiffness after activity or a plane ride.” After the game, Nix was asked whether the ankle he injured in January has affected his play this season and answered “No.”
If the ankle is bothering him, the concern would naturally land on his mechanics, especially his footwork.
Sean Payton was asked about that during Monday morning’s conference call with Denver-area media, and the Broncos coach was careful with his words.
“So I would say this because it’s a position I’ve coached for - I don’t know however many years: There are times where you want to be careful how much you say,” Payton said.
He then pointed to the parts of Nix’s game that still hold up when the play breaks down.
“In other words, he’s real good when he flushes out of the pocket. I think there was one snap a week ago he came out the back instead of climbing but he’s pretty good relative to understanding the drop as it pertains to depth of route.
“There are times where (quarterbacks Logan (Kilgore) or Davis (Webb) will look closely with a route and say, “Hey maybe we hitch here,” but, yeah, I think he’s got a feel for these routes and he understands - whether it’s in the gun or under center - what it should feel like and look like.”
Payton’s comments left room for optimism about Nix’s feel outside structure, but they didn’t change the larger picture. Through four games, the Broncos’ 2024 first-round pick has not been close to the level Denver wants from him, and the team as a whole is still looking for better.
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