Bo Nix’s Struggles Spark Message for Sean Payton to Consider Bold Change Despite Broncos’ First Win

The Denver Broncos started the 2025 season with a win against the Tennessee Titans, but it felt less like a celebration. This team was heading into the season with a lights-out defense, some new playmakers on offense, and a second-year quarterback, Bo Nix, with Sean Payton as his mentor. They had the entire Broncos fan base bussing and rooting for their victory. But what happened in Sunday’s game against the Titans shocked everyone and an analyst voiced some strong concerns for Nix and Payton.

Bo Nix’s stat line in the 20-12 win wasn’t pretty. Two interceptions and a lost fumble are not exactly the “fast start” everyone was hoping for. And speaking of Sean Payton, he’s known for being pretty tough on his quarterbacks. But after this game, he was surprisingly patient. He basically said,  “We’re not going to have a growth meter each week … he’s in his second year and I love the player and he can be a huge reason we win games, but we’re not going to have the meter,” and made it clear he still has faith in Nix, highlighting a huge vote of confidence.

The stand taken by Payton has led the NFL community into a big debate. Dustin Swedelson from VSiN pointed out Nix’s bad stats and not-so-accurate decision-making, as he says, “Bo Nix, I do not trust him to make critical throws in big moments for me if I’m expecting to win the game. There is something clunky about the way he throws the football. I find his decision-making to be average to below average at best. He doesn’t process all that quickly, he doesn’t make decisions all that quickly, and he’s not a great thrower of the football.”

It’s a valid concern, especially since the team has high expectations. The Broncos are already favored by 2.5 points on the road against the Colts for Week 2, which shows people expect them to be a good team, not a team with a quarterback who’s still figuring things out. You could see the rust, the misfires, and the decision-making that just wasn’t quite there yet in the game against the Titans. Nix completed 25 of 40 throws, but a lot of them just didn’t threaten the defense in a meaningful way. 

The Broncos are a good team, but maybe Bo Nix’s development isn’t going to be a smooth, linear climb. It’s going to have its bumps. The Titans game proved that while the defense can win games, the offense needs to catch up to face a tougher team, such as the Indianapolis Colts. But here’s the thing that’s got people talking: even with the rough performance, there were a few glimpses of his competitiveness.

Bo Nix’s take on his performance with the Tennessee Titans

The first game of the season is in the books for the Denver Broncos, and while they walked away with a win, it wasn’t exactly the masterpiece everyone hoped for. The spotlight, as expected, was on second-year quarterback Bo Nix, and his performance against the Tennessee Titans was a bit of a mixed bag.

It’s clear that Nix isn’t going anywhere, and the Broncos are sticking with their guy. But Week 1 showed exactly what he meant when he talked about facing new challenges this season. The Titans’ defensive plan was simple: keep him in the pocket, put the heat on him, and force him to make uncomfortable throws. It worked for long stretches of the game, and Nix’s three turnovers were a testament to that.

But here’s a little secret for anyone who’s panicking: this isn’t new territory for Bo Nix. Go back to the start of last season, and you’ll find he had a similar stretch with a handful of early interceptions before he settled in and became much more careful with the football. He even admitted after the game, as he said, “I have to take care of the football, especially with our defense. Can’t put them in bad spots.”

Everyone’s talking about Bo Nix’s three turnovers in the Broncos‘ season opener, but let’s be real, football isn’t a one-player game. For most of the game, the Broncos’ running attack was pretty much non-existent. But in the fourth quarter, running backs RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins exploded for 91 yards, with a huge 50-yard run from Harvey setting up Dobbins’ game-winning touchdown.

It was a classic case of the run game taking the pressure off the passing game right when it needed it. The team isn’t worried about Nix. Talanoa Hufanga was seen rocking a Nix T-shirt after the game, basically telling everyone that the entire locker room has his back. “It’s a team sport,” Hufanga said. “… Regardless of what kind of day he has, I know I’ve got his back and he’s got mine.”

Going ahead, Nix needs to get his game strong to face Colts quarterback Daniel Jones in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season.

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