The Denver Broncos play the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11. On Monday, head coach Sean Payton held his weekly press conference. In it, he discussed quarterback Bo Nix’s tendency to throw quickly under pressure.
For reference, Nix’s pressured completion percentage varies from site to site. But his blitzed completion percentage is No. 19 (59.3%). Payton had a surprising explanation for Nix’s quick trigger.
Broncos Offense Faces Growing Pressure as Bo Nix’s Development Reaches Crucial Stretch
Payton said, “I think it’s a plus and a minus. I’ve said that before. I think one of his great strengths is not taking sacks. So, I think there is a fine line of number one, the depth of route. Is this a longer-developing play? A seven-step drop. A five-step drop. A three-step drop. And what should be the appropriate time? But I think that’s a much, much easier problem to correct than the latter, which is taking the sack.”
He added that taking sacks, historically speaking, is more challenging to fix than releasing the ball too soon. That said, the second half of the season is going to be much more critical for Nix than for other Year 2 quarterbacks. The Broncos are 8-2, atop the AFC West, and the No. 2 seed in the AFC Conference.
How Nix performs may determine if Payton decides to move on from him, as Colin Cowherd suggests. While that would be an unlikely outcome heading into 2026, it remains a possibility. Nix’s completion percentage has dipped to below 61% on the season during the past two games. Playing the Chiefs in Week 11 will be a litmus test.
What the Broncos need is another No. 1 wide receiver to pair with Courtland Sutton in 2-WR and 3-WR sets. The Broncos have to rely on second-year fourth-round WR Troy Franklin to make plays, and he has a low ceiling. While Franklin has 73 targets, he has just 42 receptions for 425 yards and five touchdowns.
This may be playing into Nix’s quick trigger. He and Franklin were college teammates. However, it’s limiting the offense’s ceiling through the first half of the season.
Elsewhere in the press conference, Payton addressed the penalties. He said they’re correctable and that it has to be a point of emphasis to do so.