The Denver Broncos are just days removed from their AFC Championship heartbreak, but instead of regrouping and building on what was their best regular season since 1988, the franchise suddenly finds itself in the middle of a storm. And not the kind that rolls in from the Rockies.
What should’ve been a moment to reflect on a promising campaign derailed by injuries has quickly turned into a whirlwind of firings, friction, and finger-pointing. Head coach Sean Payton has already made major changes to his staff, parting ways with three assistants-including offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. But it’s the growing tension between Payton and rookie quarterback Bo Nix that’s really raising eyebrows around the league.
Let’s start with the coaching shake-up. Firing Lombardi, wide receivers coach Keary Colbert, and cornerbacks coach Addison Lynch might seem like standard postseason housecleaning.
But the timing and tone suggest something deeper. According to reports, Lombardi attributed his firing to Payton simply being “in one of his moods.”
That’s not exactly the kind of exit quote you expect after a season that saw Denver return to playoff relevance.
Then came the press conference-called not by the team, but by Bo Nix himself. That’s right, the rookie quarterback took it upon himself to speak directly to the media, aiming to “correct misinformation” about the ankle injury that ended his season.
The source of that misinformation? His own head coach.
Nix suffered the injury in the final moments of the Broncos' divisional-round win over the Buffalo Bills on January 17, a brutal blow that required surgery and ended his playoff run. Afterward, Payton publicly suggested that Nix’s ankle issues were part of a larger pattern, saying the injury wasn’t a matter of if, but when.
That didn’t sit well with Nix.
“I don’t think he really should share how many surgeries I’ve had in the past, to be honest with you,” Nix told reporters. “He doesn’t even really know that.”
Nix went on to clarify that his injury wasn’t the result of any pre-existing condition. “Nothing predisposed, nothing that was there originally,” he said. “It was just a simple step with my foot up in the air, my body weight came down on it, sort of got twisted up.”
That kind of public contradiction between quarterback and head coach isn’t just rare-it’s significant. Especially when it involves a rookie and a veteran coach like Payton, who’s known for his strong personality and tight control over the locker room narrative.
When a young quarterback feels the need to go off-script and address the media without team backing, it’s a sign that trust is fraying. And when that quarterback is also the future of your franchise, it’s a situation that can’t be ignored.
Analyst Nick Wright summed it up bluntly: “This is a weird 96 hours from a team that had, by any objective measure, a wildly successful season.” He’s not wrong.
Denver was a few bounces-and a snowstorm-away from possibly advancing even further. But instead of rallying around that progress, the Broncos are now dealing with internal drama that threatens to overshadow everything they accomplished.
In a statement following the coaching changes, Payton thanked Lombardi, Colbert, and Lynch for their contributions, adding, “I’ve been fortunate to work with Joe Lombardi for 15 years and am particularly grateful for his many contributions to our success as offensive coordinator.”
It was a classy send-off on paper, but it doesn’t change the fact that Denver’s offseason is off to a rocky start. The Broncos have momentum, talent, and a fan base hungry for success. But they also have a head coach and a quarterback who clearly aren’t on the same page right now.
If Denver wants to build on the strides it made this season, mending that relationship will be priority number one. Because no matter how strong the roster is, dysfunction at the top can derail even the most promising teams.