Broncos fans in Denver have spent the week debating Bo Nix’s arm after a 107-yard night against Seattle, but the more telling number might be the one on the ground. Sean Payton said playing it safe was the plan in that overtime win, and ESPN’s insiders are now pointing at what Nix’s legs are no longer doing for him.
In ESPN’s Week 7 buzz, Jeremy Fowler named Nix the league’s most intriguing quarterback contract situation, citing a limited ceiling, confidence issues, two playcallers this season and a Week 4 loss to the 49ers that the Broncos considered more problematic than the Seattle game. Dan Graziano added that a source told him the big difference is Nix “not getting himself out of bad spots with his legs the way he did last season.”
Bo Nix’s rushing numbers have collapsed
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Nix ran 92 times for 430 yards as a rookie and 83 times for 356 yards in 2025. Through six games this season, he has 22 carries for 37 yards, and he ran twice for 10 yards in the 24-14 loss in San Francisco, where Dre Greenlaw made 12 tackles. His scramble rate has fallen from 7.8% in 2024 to 2.5% this season, per Sumer Sports. PFF grades his running at 41.0, last among 24 qualifying quarterbacks, and he has just five scrambles for 17 yards.
That matters because Payton has long valued those legs. “He won a lot of downs for us last year with his feet,” Payton said in 2025, per DenverSports.com. Nix broke his right ankle in January’s divisional-round win over Buffalo and needed two surgeries, yet he insisted in camp he would keep running.
What it means for an extension
Nix’s four-year, $18.6 million rookie deal makes him eligible for an extension after this season, and the fifth-year option decision comes next spring. With the Broncos’ defense, led by Ja’Quan McMillian’s overtime pick against Seattle, carrying a 4-2 team, Denver can afford patience. Payton backed his quarterback Monday and took the blame himself.
“That starts with me and us giving him those opportunities when they present itself,” Payton said, per Field Level Media. Fowler wrote that Nix’s viability with Denver might hinge on the next 11 or so games. If the scrambles don’t return, the Broncos will be pricing a pocket passer with a 6.3-yard average depth of target, and benching Nix isn’t the fix either.
More on the Denver Broncos
- Aqib Talib Responds to Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Thursday Night Criticism of Broncos QB Bo Nix
- Bo Nix Has 230 Passing Yards in Two Weeks, and That’s the First Fix Before the Cardinals
- Broncos’ 14 Straight One-Score Wins Are Hiding an Offense That Ranks 31st in Yards
- Who Replaces Jonah Elliss? Quandarrius Robinson’s 6 Pressures vs. Seattle Make His Case
