Why Does Sean Payton Love Broncos QB Bo Nix? ‘He Can Function in a Dirty Pocket’

Sean Payton appears to have his quarterback of the future in Bo Nix, but what does the Denver Broncos head coach love the most about his second-year signal-caller?

“I knew Bo Nix was a good player, a talented guy because his pre-draft workouts were really impressive. But what I think Sean Payton loves the most about Nix is he can function in a dirty pocket,” former NFL head coach Jon Gruden said about Nix on Friday’s edition of “Wake Up Barstool.” “There’s pressure over here, a little pressure over there, you’re going to get hit. He can slither and slide and make really accurate throws from awkward body positions. He can contort his body and get plays off where most guys can’t.

“His leadership, I was at a function where they introduced the captains, I think every guy voted for Bo Nix. He walks in there as a young man, and everybody on the team is like, ‘okay, there’s our quarterback,’ and that says a lot about what Bo Nix brings to the Broncos. I do like Bo Nix a lot.”

Payton and the Broncos selected Nix with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, with the quarterback coming off a season that saw him finish as a finalist for the 2023 Heisman Trophy Award at Oregon. While the sixth quarterback selected in the draft, Nix outshined the bulk of the quarterbacks who were taken before him in his 2024 rookie season.

Starting every game for Denver, Nix totaled 3,775 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, 12 touchdowns and a 93.3 passer rating, while completing 66.3% of his passes. He also rushed for 430 yards and four touchdowns. Nix ranked 16th among quarterbacks with a 77.0 rushing grade, 22nd with a 76.4 overall grade and 26th with a 72.8 passing grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Broncos went 10-7, making the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50. Granted, they lost on the road to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wild-card round, 31-7.

Of course, Payton worked hand-in-hand with future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees on the New Orleans Saints, as the two helped the franchise win its first Super Bowl in the 2009 NFL season. Payton was Brees’ head coach from 2006-20, with the quarterback earning Pro Bowl honors in 12 of his 15 seasons playing under the head coach.

Nix and the Broncos open their 2025 regular season at home against No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!