Pat Surtain II Shares Broncos Locker Room's View of Payton/Nix Spat

Patrick Surtain II seemed unphased by the sideline disagreement captured between Sean Payton and Bo Nix.

Oct 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) during the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Patrick Surtain II appeared on the extremely popular Pat McAfee Show on Monday, covering many topics, from playing under Sean Payton to lining up opposite Riley Moss to the sideline spat the Denver Broncos head coach and quarterback Bo Nix.

It was an entertaining look into Surtain's perspective as a professional, and it even dipped into his college years under the legendary Nick Saban.

Surtain's admiration for the coaches he's had the privilege to play under is evident. His excitement upon hearing about the addition of Payton last year was evident. Surtain has been inspired by the Broncos' potential under Payton's leadership. 

"He's a highly-touted coach with a high win percentage, and once he stepped into this role, I knew we were going to be special moving forward," Surtain told McAfee.

Surtain also praised Payton's mindset since joining the team.

"His mindset solely focused on winning and bringing the best out of his players, and you can tell each and every week, once we gear up for the games, he's highly motivated," Surtain said.

Payton’s approach can be effective, but it is considered too old-school for the newer generation of players. Surtain's comments, as well as Nix's, would seem to rebut that trope.

Broncos fans witnessed Nix and Payton disagree in Sunday's win over versus the Las Vegas Raiders. McAfee asked Surtain what his thoughts were regarding the spat between the two.

"They got the same personality," Surtain said. "They just want to win games at the end of the day." 

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Surtain's positive spin on the Payton/Nix spat should reassure fans.

"You see guys like that going at it, but it's just because of the high enthusiasm within the game and how much it means to them at the end of the day," Surtain explained.

Switching gears, Denver's search for a cornerback to pair with Surtain has been a long one, but the Broncos might have found their man in the second-year cornerback out of Iowa, Riley Moss. Despite some initial struggles, Moss's confidence remained unshaken.

"Riley, I just think he stepped in on day one with a lot of confidence, as you can tell," Surtain said. "He embraced that challenge the most because he prepared the right way. Each and every week, he's learning to get better."

The common theme throughout Surtain's interview with McAfee and company was the expectations the Broncos players set for themselves, something that was instilled in the elite cornerback during his days at Alabama under Nick Saban. It's a standard that requires a player to be 100% bought in, which is something the Broncos defense has shown,

“We set a standard out there, that we are going to be the best unit out on the field each and every week,” Surtain said.

If Denver’s defense can maintain this level of play, it's going to take a near-perfect game to prevail against them.

---

Follow Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!