Bo Nix isn’t facing the kind of hot seat that leads to a benching. He’s dealing with something trickier than that: the kind that follows a quarterback into contract talks and forces a team to decide whether he’s the guy long term.
That’s the read ESPN’s Bill Barnwell put on Nix entering Week 6, and it comes with an important distinction. Barnwell doesn’t see Denver turning to backup Jarrett Stidham, noting that Stidham “hasn't been particularly impressive as a pro and didn't play well in last season's AFC title game loss to the Patriots while filling in for the injured starter.” The pressure, in Barnwell’s view, is bigger-picture, with Nix eligible for a contract extension after the season and a decision on his fifth-year option in 2028 “at a projected $29.9 million” coming next spring.
That framing makes sense. A benching would be a ridiculous conclusion to jump to. The Broncos get nothing out of that move, and there was never much reason to think Stidham was the answer anyway.
The real issue is what Nix has looked like in 2026.
He helped push Denver to the AFC Championship Game last season and has been among the league’s more successful quarterbacks since the Broncos drafted him in 2024. But this year has brought a more uneven version of him, and that’s why the noise around him has gotten louder. At this point in his career, five games into the regular season, the questions are fair.
The biggest concern is the lack of a step forward. Quarterbacks are supposed to keep growing in year three, and Nix hasn’t clearly done that.
Since the ankle injury he suffered in the playoff win over the Bills, he hasn’t looked like the same player. He’s running less, he’s not creating with his legs the way he did in his first two NFL seasons, and he’s been more reluctant to attack downfield.
That doesn’t erase the flashes. Nix has still delivered late-game heroics against the Jaguars, Rams, and Chargers, and those moments matter.
But a franchise quarterback has to do more than pop up in crunch time. He has to lift his weekly baseline.
If Denver is ever going to commit to him with the biggest contract in franchise history, that floor has to rise.
The Broncos tried to help him this offseason. They made a strong effort to keep one of his favorite coaches, Davis Webb, and then went big with a blockbuster trade for Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins.
Even with that support, the results have been worse than before, and the criticism has followed. The path out of this mess is simple, if not easy: Nix has to play his way out of it.
There’s still time this season for him to do that. The pressure is real now, though, because the excuses that made sense in years one and two won’t carry the same weight in year three.
Nix has to show the version of himself at his best isn’t just a peak. It’s the standard.
In Other News...
Bo Nix Admits The Mental Battle Behind Denvers Stalled Offense
Bo Nix is still working through a tricky stretch as the Broncos try to get their offense moving again, and the issue sounds as much mental as physical. The rookie quarterback has talked about the challenge of finding the right blend of assertiveness and caution, a balancing act that matters even more when a team is trying to climb out of an offensive rut.
Denvers struggles have come with defenses shrinking the field and making the Broncos earn everything underneath, while the ground game has not given Nix enough help to keep opponents honest. He has looked more aggressive late in games, which only adds to the sense that the answers are there, even if the process of getting to them is still a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Offensive Warning Signs Are Getting Harder To Ignore
The Broncos offensive issues keep piling up, and the latest rough showing against the Chargers only added to the unease around a unit that has been too inconsistent for comfort. Bo Nix has been part of that concern throughout the season, with his play swinging from drive to drive, while Wil Lutz and RJ Harvey have also had their own stretches that have left Denver searching for steadier production.
Jaylen Waddles recent form has been another layer to watch, especially because the drops and the frustration around him have become harder to overlook outside of the Rams game. For a team trying to find any sense of rhythm on offense, the bigger question now is whether these are isolated slumps or signs of something more troubling taking hold. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Nix Faces A Growing Broncos Question Sean Payton Can't Ignore
Bo Nixs first season has already given Sean Payton plenty to evaluate, and the Broncos coach has made it clear he wants more conviction from his rookie quarterback. Nix has been managing the offense, but the downfield element has lagged behind, and the numbers reflect it. Through this point in the season, he is averaging 5.8 yards per attempt, a figure that places him 28th in the league and helps explain why the passing game still feels like it is searching for another gear.
Paytons message has been consistent: be more aggressive and let it rip. For Denver, that is the real hinge point now, because the Broncos need to know whether Nix can grow from a steady starter into the kind of quarterback who changes defenses rather than simply works around them. The wider AFC West picture only adds to the pressure, with teams around the division always looking for ways to upgrade and force answers, which makes Denvers own answer at quarterback feel even more important. [Read more 🡒]