Broncos HC Sean Payton Jokingly Scolds Pundits Over Bo Nix's Arm Strength

The Denver Broncos head coach let the pundits have it.

Nov 24, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) makes a pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the third quarter at Allegiant Stadium. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

During the NFL draft back in April, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton was accused of reaching when he took Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with the 12th overall selection. The unprecedented run of quarterbacks in the 2024 draft was bound to lead to wide-ranging scouting reports, especially regarding the far less showy Nix.

Indeed, multiple pundits were quick to claim that Nix lacked the requisite arm strength to really dine at the NFL top table. After all, hot takes tend to get clicks.

Fast forward to late November, and as a leading contender for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, Nix is dining where he wishes. Thus, Payton couldn't resist taking a potshot at the naysayers on Monday when he was asked if Nix's arm has "gotten stronger."

"No, no, no. (Laughs) Our pundits' eyes in the beginning were weaker," Payton said.

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Nix clearly had the type of cerebral skill set that would make him an ideal fit for Payton in Denver, but there's a whole lot more to his game than just smarts. That undoubtedly includes bags of natural arm strength, but Payton admitted that showing off Nix's deep ball chops isn't done for just pure show.

"You know what's nice? In his college reports, I didn't hear 'darts' or 'down-the-field' or long-arms' or any of that stuff," Payton said. "A little bit is sometimes defensively driven. Certainly, there's a confidence level relative to what we're trying to do, or what he's trying to do. It's hard to predict in a game. Like yesterday, I would have guessed going in with the corner injuries that the Raiders had that we were going to get that much Cover 0 or blitz pressure. We thought we would get a lot more zone coverage, and it was actually the opposite."

In fairness, it's not only Nix who is growing in confidence but everything else around this Broncos offense is revolving. Going down the stretch, it's a safe bet to assume that opposing teams might opt to dare Nix to beat them deep, but that could play straight into the Broncos' hands.

Payton has also been especially bold and brave when it came to how he wanted this offense to be constructed around his talented rookie signal-caller. With several mouths left gaping — out went the likes of veteran wideout Tim Patrick.

On Monday, tight end Greg Dulcich was confirmed as a draft-day bust as he was waived, further proof that Payton isn't afraid to trust in the personnel packages he's developing. Bringing along this talented group of rookies has been done with Nix as the centerpiece, but he had to deliver under particularly close scrutiny. Reassuringly, with every passing week, he learns and grows at a pace few had predicted. 

While a lot of people seriously underestimated his core arm strength, the ceiling is cracking rather loudly with every completion he makes down the field. What's also clear is that the Broncos would rather win ball games than rub the critics' noses in it, for now, anyway.

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