The Denver Broncos may have one of the best records in the NFL at 8-2, but their offense is causing worry among many. Thursday night’s 10-7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders demonstrated that the team is winning primarily due to its defense, rather than its ability to move the ball.
The Broncos won, but the offense looked flat, and now some analysts believe coach Sean Payton could be considering a new quarterback in the 2026 draft.
Colin Cowherd on Bo Nix’s Performances
NFL analyst Colin Cowherd spoke on Thursday about Bo Nix’s recent performances and raised the question of whether Payton might look for another quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft.
Payton is a very impatient guy,” Cowherd said. “He also understands the urgency at quarterback. … I’m dead serious. Bo Nix has regressed badly. … He’s going to have more turnovers this year again, he is a significantly worse quarterback this year than last.”
“Would Sean Payton draft another quarterback? I’m dead serious. Bo Nix has regressed badly” – Colin Cowherd pic.twitter.com/ysxeij6XhB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 7, 2025
Cowherd noted that Nix’s completion percentage has dropped from 66% to 60%, and his passer rating has fallen from the mid-90s to the mid-80s.
“And I understand quarterback development is not linear,” Cowherd added. “I think it was Peyton Manning who suddenly had a really bad fourth year in the league. I get it. You lose a coordinator, you lose an offensive lineman, but this whole line is great.”
Cowherd suggested that Payton and the general manager George Paton could already be thinking about the future.
“I really look at this and I wonder if Sean Payton is talking to George, the GM, and saying, ‘You know, we got a stacked roster here. We don’t have a lot of needs. There’s like seven quarterbacks in the first couple of rounds. We may want to roll the dice on them and sit them behind both for a year.'”
Against the Las Vegas Raiders, Denver finished with 220 yards, 10 first downs and two turnovers. The offense went three-and-out seven times and averaged 3.1 yards per carry. The only touchdown came early in the game, and the Broncos’ game-winning field goal came after a blocked punt that gave them the ball at the 12-yard line. There, the offense moved backward before Will Lutz kicked the short field goal.
Bo Nix completed 16 of 28 passes for 150 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He has totaled 2,126 yards on a 60.9% completion rate with 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions this season. His PFSN QB Impact Score is 77.8 with a C+ grade. He ranks 15th among all quarterbacks this season.
The Broncos’ defense, meanwhile, has been one of the best in the league, giving up very few points and creating important turnovers.