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Denver Broncos

Sean Payton Knows Critics Won’t Admit They Were Wrong About His Quarterback Bo Nix

By David Chappine

July 24, 2025


We’ve highlighted extensively how wrong the media was about Broncos quarterback Bo Nix’s talent level—from the relentless and misguided criticism he received during the pre-draft process, to that never being let go during his amazing rookie campaign. The combination of mainstream sports media and loud haters on social media led to a totally fake narrative about Nix’s talent level forming.

 

This has happened before, most notably with reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen. He was hated on more than anyone coming out of Wyoming, and people didn’t want to admit they were wrong until Allen became such an overwhelming superstar—arguably the best overall player in the sport—that the critics eventually sort of just acted like they didn’t say the things they did about Allen.

 

Of course, that happened begrudgingly. For example, at Wolf Sports, we were criticized by supposed experts as late as 2020 for classifying Allen as a “hit” by having him ranked as the top player in the 2018 NFL Draft (basically tied with generational running back prospect Saquon Barkley). The same so-called experts are still taken seriously, for some reason.

 

Now, Nix is dealing with something similar. He had the third-most touchdowns for a rookie in NFL history, showcased a rocket arm, and frankly made the negative pundits look like fools. Yet, the mainstream talk is somehow that Nix just landed in a perfect situation, and how that explains his success at the next level.

 

Broncos head coach Sean Payton is having none of it. When asked yesterday about people saying Nix landed in the ideal marriage with him and the Broncos, Payton answered with the awareness that those pundits are implying that Nix isn’t that talented and is simply just in a good situation—i.e., “WE WEREN’T WRONG!”

 

 

“You know, it almost discredits the athlete. But it fits the NARRATIVE for those who had him ranked where they had him. So, we’re not gonna get away from our narratives, are we? We’re gonna hold on to, ‘we were right with that narrative.’ And so, ‘well, that was a right fit, that was the right marriage, and that explains any success and all success.’”

 

This is not the first time Payton has bashed the critics of Nix and had the back of his quarterback publicly. The Super Bowl winning head coach previously made it clear that not many analysts are good at scouting quarterbacks and that most people simply don’t know what they’re talking about. He also forcefully shut down talk that Nix’s arm has gotten considerably stronger since entering the league—instead asserting that most people who scouted him were wrong.

 

Even if the situation with Denver is the best in the league (it’s not), the critics ignore Nix’s talent and ability to elevate his teammates. He gets the most out of those around him. He’s super accurate. He takes care of the ball. He never fumbles. He makes plays outside the pocket and with his legs. He gives his receivers opportunities to make plays down the field.

 

And it’s funny, you never hear about how Patrick Mahomes landed with Andy Reid and a stacked Chiefs team—a spot where Alex Smith was playing like an MVP candidate before Mahomes took over. Maybe it’s because the critics weren’t so hard on Mahomes in the pre-draft process, with most at least accurately acknowledging that there’s obvious upside with his talent and skillset.

 

It was a different pre-draft story with Nix, so naturally the narrative is different—which is unfair.

 

One of the baseless criticisms Nix is still getting after his excellent rookie campaign is that he “throws too many short passes,” or something. As if he’s incapable of throwing the ball down the field. One, did the pundits miss not only the longest touchdown throw of the season and other bomb throws—but did they also miss the lasers he was throwing over the middle in traffic?

 

 

And two, Mahomes—who is no doubt a great quarterback, but many of the haters of Nix say he’s clearly the best quarterback in the league over other guys like Allen and Lamar Jackson—throws a ton of short passes! If that’s what it takes to move the ball, Mahomes is going to do it. There shouldn’t be a problem with it. And apparently there isn’t for Mahomes, but there is for Nix.

 

 

It’s ridiculous that mainstream outlets, which are supposed to be serving sports fans the most accurate coverage possible, trot out the same people with seemingly no positive track record in scouting to speak of and have them say things like, “Bo Nix has a weak arm” or “Bo Nix throws too many short passes.” Sports fans deserve way better than that.

 

For Allen, he completely and utterly shattered all stupid narratives and did it while playing for a defensive-minded head coach and lit it up under multiple offensive coordinators. There was nothing anyone could say. At all. (And there was no reckoning for how wrong the “experts” were, either.)

 

If Nix continues having success in the NFL, the pundits are simply going to say he’s a product of the system he’s in. They’ll ignore how wrong they were about something as simple and fact-based as Nix having tremendous arm talent.

 

But at least Nix’s head coach has his back.

 

NFL players do, too. They voted Nix as a clear top-100 player in the league after his rookie season.