- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 562,561
- Reaction score
- 48
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had a brilliant rookie season in 2024, surpassing 4,200 yards from scrimmage and scoring 34 touchdowns while helping the team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
After such a strong rookie campaign, though, is Nix in danger of a sophomore slump in 2025? NFL defenses now have an entire season's worth of film to study the QB's strengths (and weaknesses). So, why is coach Sean Payton confident Nix has not already hit his ceiling?
“You had to watch the games," Payton said in February. "You have to watch the athleticism and the learning curve. If I did this, let’s just say from the media perspective for a living and I have this vision as to what I think he is, then all of a sudden, it’s, ‘Ah.’ He has plenty of arm strength, and we saw it. Just look at all of the numbers relative to his completions downfield. I think he was third in 20-yard completions.
"I said this last year respectfully, I just think it’s a tough position to evaluate and there is a difference between entertainment and from the club side, where it’s everything. The entertainment — and that is with no disrespect, but the access to truly evaluate it properly. It’s a good lesson yearly that it can move a club certain directions if you are not paying attention at any position. We felt confident — and at that time a year ago, we didn’t know who that was. We just felt like we would be able to get that right or at least have a good likelihood of getting that right.”
Nix is 25, which might be "old" for a second-year player in the NFL, but it's still young for a professional quarterback. It's not unreasonable to imagine Nix still has a decade (or more) left in his career, and he took big strides over the course of his rookie season. Now entering Year 2, Nix will hope to avoid a slump and continue progressing. Payton -- who watches every practice and coaches every game -- certainly seems confident Nix is still trending up.
Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Sean Payton on Bo Nix's trajectory: 'Watch the games'
Continue reading...
After such a strong rookie campaign, though, is Nix in danger of a sophomore slump in 2025? NFL defenses now have an entire season's worth of film to study the QB's strengths (and weaknesses). So, why is coach Sean Payton confident Nix has not already hit his ceiling?
“You had to watch the games," Payton said in February. "You have to watch the athleticism and the learning curve. If I did this, let’s just say from the media perspective for a living and I have this vision as to what I think he is, then all of a sudden, it’s, ‘Ah.’ He has plenty of arm strength, and we saw it. Just look at all of the numbers relative to his completions downfield. I think he was third in 20-yard completions.
"I said this last year respectfully, I just think it’s a tough position to evaluate and there is a difference between entertainment and from the club side, where it’s everything. The entertainment — and that is with no disrespect, but the access to truly evaluate it properly. It’s a good lesson yearly that it can move a club certain directions if you are not paying attention at any position. We felt confident — and at that time a year ago, we didn’t know who that was. We just felt like we would be able to get that right or at least have a good likelihood of getting that right.”
Nix is 25, which might be "old" for a second-year player in the NFL, but it's still young for a professional quarterback. It's not unreasonable to imagine Nix still has a decade (or more) left in his career, and he took big strides over the course of his rookie season. Now entering Year 2, Nix will hope to avoid a slump and continue progressing. Payton -- who watches every practice and coaches every game -- certainly seems confident Nix is still trending up.
Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Sean Payton on Bo Nix's trajectory: 'Watch the games'
Continue reading...
