When Sean Payton looked Bo Nix in the eye this offseason and said he was “the type of quarterback who fits any system,” it sounded like gospel. It felt like Payton had found his guy for years to come. Nix had the arm, the poise, the football IQ and everything that screamed “franchise fix.” Yeah, he might’ve jinxed it.
Because we’re in the second week of training camp, and let’s just say, things are not going as Sean Payton envisioned them in his head. And Bo Nix? For someone who was supposed to solve Payton’s worries might just be adding on to his long list of headaches.
No, it’s not a hot take, and it’s not a media narrative either. Because Insider Parker Gabriel gave us an insight into exactly what Bo Nix is looking like in the training camp, and it’s not good news. “Pat Surtain got Bo Nix again on what looked an errant throw on the run to the right. Not quite sure who Nix was targeting but it was between receivers and right to No. 2,” he wrote on X.
Pat Surtain got Bo Nix again on what looked an errant throw on the run to the right. Not quite sure who Nix was targeting but it was between receivers and right to No. 2.
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) August 2, 2025
Yes, yet another interception. Just a day removed from throwing two picks, Nix came out on Day 8 and served up another. And this time it was a gift-wrapped ball to Pat Surtain II, who barely had to move. The throw floated awkwardly between two confused receivers and landed straight in the All-Pro’s lap. That makes it three interceptions in two days.
Sean Payton noticed the cracks from the start. Even though Nix opened the team period with a slick no-look bullet to Devaughn Vele and followed it with a crisp cross-body strike to Troy Franklin, Payton didn’t hand out gold stars. Instead, he zeroed in on what didn’t happen: Nix missed the end-zone throw that would’ve sealed the period.
Statistically, this dip doesn’t make sense. Last season, he completed 66.3% of his passes, threw for 3,775 yards, and added 29 touchdowns with 430 rushing yards. Oh, and he did it all while playing through a fractured back. The man literally dragged Denver to its first playoff berth in nearly a decade. A dip in the second season? It’s never a good sign.
And the practice tape says it too. Nix looks jumpy in the pocket, second-guessing reads, sailing balls over the middle, and coming up short on timing throws he used to nail. The same areas he used to thrive in. So yes, it might be time to label this as concerning.
But Sean Payton isn’t ringing the alarm bells just yet. Payton tried to downplay it, chalking things up to a young quarterback learning the ropes. He pointed to pre-snap reads and defensive rotations as part of the learning curve. “I’m good with his current exploration,” he said. But deep down, there is a tint of concern, and you know it. But while Bo Nix adds to his headache, Zach Allen just gave him the Advil.
Zach Allen’s extension and what it means for Bo Nix
Amidst everything that Denver does wrong, they finally got something right: locking in Zach Allen. Yes, the Broncos have reportedly signed All-Pro defensive tackle to a 4-year deal worth $102 million. Oh, and that includes $69.5 million in guarantees. With this year included, the total contract extension comes to a five-year, $115.25 million deal.
Allen’s not just fast money; the man is pivotal. He has started 33 straight games, piled up 121 tackles, 23 of them behind the line, smacked quarterbacks 64 times, and racked up 13.5 sacks. Hence, the All-Pro Honors. Bottom line? This defense runs through him, and everyone knows it.
Credit: Zach Allen’s official Instagram account
He’s durable, versatile, and built perfectly to anchor Vance Joseph’s pass-rush heavy scheme. Last season, Allen racked up 67 pressures, more than any interior D-lineman in the league. That’s precisely what helped fuel a Broncos defense that led the NFL in sacks (63) and locked teams down with just 4.9 yards allowed per play, second-best in the league.
So what does that mean for Bo Nix and Sean Payton’s offense? In short: chaos. Allen’s presence tilts the field before the ball’s even snapped. Offensive coordinator Andy Isabella even joked that practice now “feels like a playoff game.” He’s single-handedly forcing the offense to tighten everything and putting pressure on Nix to speed up his reads or get swallowed whole.
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