Bo Nix Comment Catches Oregon's Attention

With Sean Payton's unwavering trust in quarterback Bo Nix, the Denver Broncos continue their winning momentum and eye a promising playoff run.

Sean Payton made it clear after the Broncos’ Week 7 win over the Arizona Cardinals: the organization has not wavered on Bo Nix.

Denver improved to 5-2 with the victory and stretched its winning streak to three games. The Broncos now have two games left before their Week 10 bye, with a home date against the Kansas City Chiefs and a road trip to the Carolina Panthers still on the schedule.

That stretch matters, because Denver should at least be able to reach the bye at 6-3. Week 8 against Kansas City is also one the Broncos have shown they can handle, having beaten the Chiefs at home three years in a row. That kind of game only feels winnable if the team believes it has the quarterback to carry it, and Denver clearly believes Nix is that player.

Payton didn’t try to soften the message when he spoke with reporters after the game. In talking about Nix, he got to the point fast: “He’s our guy”

The fuller point was just as direct.

“The confidence inside the building relative to his abilities hadn't changed at all... sometimes you're answering questions about whether or not... there's not one time where we were... he's our guy, and it was good to see him play well...”

Payton’s delivery may have wandered a bit, but the message never did. The Broncos have stayed behind Nix, and the head coach said as much without leaving much room for interpretation.

Of course, Nix isn’t a finished product. The first seven games of this season haven’t produced sparkling numbers.

But the Broncos are winning, and he’s been central to that. Since entering the NFL in 2024, he has done nothing but win, and through seven games this year Denver is on pace for its third 10-plus-win season in as many years.

That’s where this has landed for the Broncos: the conversation around Nix is no longer about whether the team believes in him. It does. He’s the guy, and he’s helped build the kind of winning culture Denver didn’t have before.

In Other News...

Blazers Closed Out A Marquee Win But One Late Issue Took Over

The Trail Blazers finished off a marquee win in a game that never really stopped feeling chippy, with both teams grinding through a physical night and six Portland players reaching double figures. Ja Morant and Damian Lillard were among the key contributors in a contest that stayed tight deep into the fourth quarter, and the Blazers did enough in the closing stretch to come away with the result they wanted against the Lakers.

What lingered afterward, though, was the officiating. The fourth quarter brought multiple technical fouls for flopping, a clear sign of how aggressively officials were applying the NBAs point of emphasis on the issue. With 52 fouls and 71 free throw attempts between the two teams, the game turned into as much about whistles and enforcement as shot-making, leaving the nights biggest storyline a little broader than the final score. [Read more 🡒]

Blazers Just Reinforced A Frontcourt Plan Fans Need To Watch

The Trail Blazers have put a little more structure around their frontcourt future by exercising team options on centers Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, keeping both players under club control for at least two more seasons. It is a clean sign of where Portland wants to go with its size and rim protection, especially after Clingan, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, quickly established himself as the starting center and defensive anchor.

Yang, meanwhile, remains more of a long-view project. The 7-foot-1 big man from China arrived via draft-night trade and still has limited NBA experience, but the Blazers are clearly willing to let the pairing develop on their timeline. For a team trying to build something sturdier in the paint, the real intrigue is how these two centers fit together as the roster keeps taking shape. [Read more 🡒]

Blazers Hot Start Is Putting Shaedon Sharpe In A Tough Spot

The Trail Blazers 3-0 start under first-year coach Micah Nori has given the team an early jolt, and it has also sharpened the conversation around how this roster is being built. Portlands offense is leaning into ball movement and players who can impact the game in more than one way, which has made the opening stretch feel more connected than the Blazers have looked in a while.

Shaedon Sharpe is still expected back around late February to early March, but the fit question is already hard to ignore. His style and shooting profile may not line up cleanly with what Portland is asking from its wings right now, and if the current group keeps humming, the Blazers could be forced to weigh whether Sharpe is part of the long-term picture or a trade chip before he even returns. [Read more 🡒]