The Denver Broncos have maintained that Bo Nix will be a full participant in training camp this year, but some details shared by head coach Sean Payton have come under scrutiny amid the offseason program.
Nix’s ankle and the two procedures he had this offseason to address it are the biggest looming issues the Broncos face.
Payton has downplayed concerns about Nix, but not everyone appreciates his candor.
Sean Payton Takes Heat for Bo Nix Comments During Broncos’ Offseason Program
GettySean Payton’s comments about Bo Nix have drawn strong criticism.
Payton’s handling of Nix’s injury situation has drawn attention already this offseason, including recently from 104.3 Denver Sports’ Cecil Lammey, who lamented how the head coach built up expectations only for the Broncos to then have unexpected hurdles pop up for their young QB.
Nix had surgery to repair a broken bone in his ankle, then another procedure to clean up after the previous one.
Through it all, Payton has spoken optimistically, much to Lammey’s chagrin.
“I’m a little pissed at Sean Payton for, earlier this year, saying what he said about Bo Nix. It was, ‘Great!’ Sunshine and rainbows. And then, there’s a second surgery. And then, we’ve got the Broncos calling each and every one of us to tell us, ‘Oh, no! This is what happened. This is what you should say. I’m sick of that. I’m sick of that. Sean, get it right. Get it right. Be honest or be so damn general with it that we just don’t know,” Lammey said on “Dover & Cecil” on June 9.
“The best way to do it is, ‘Hey, nothing during OTAs. He does some stuff before the workouts,’ because he did it last week. He was actually out there last week doing a little bit of stuff before practice starts, before any media can see anything, but not an official practice.”
Lammey wondered why Payton expressed such supreme confidence that Nix, who has attended the offseason program but has not participated on the field, would in minicamp.
Broncos Get Ominous Prediction for Mandatory Minicamp
GettyThe Denver Broncos must be cautious with quarterback Bo Nix this offseason.
Nix’s optimistic timeline to return to the field has long been June, with training camp in August always seeming more likely for a full-fledged return to action.
However, Payton’s remarks may have created undue expectations.
“Here’s what’s going to happen: I’ve seen the future. A week from now, mandatory. Everybody’s out there. … And Bo isn’t throwing,” Lammey said. “‘Oh, no. Sean Payton said Bo was going to throw, and Bo’s not out there. And then it becomes this big story.
“I don’t want that to be the story, and I know it’s gonna be the story. Because Sean mentioned that he could be out there. And if he’s not out there, I don’t care. I want him out there in training camp. I want him close to full strength. This stupid ankle is becoming more of a problem, and a headache, and a pain in the a**.”
Lammey continued, “This team doesn’t go anywhere without Bo Nix. It is paramount, it is principia, it is principle. No. 1 thing is keeping Bo Nix healthy. So, get this ankle thing right. Stop messing around with the ‘He could be out there, guys.’ Sean shouldn’t–[that’s] another thing Sean shouldn’t have said. And he was trying to be, ‘It’s just like I told you guys–.’ No, no, Sean. Shut up. Don’t say that.
“You shouldn’t say anything when it comes to Bo’s ankle. You should just say, ‘Hey, we’re taking it day by day. He’s doing really well. I wish you guys could see the work he’s doing behind the scenes. It’s been great.’
Lammey suspects that if Nix is on the field during minicamp, it will be “very, very brief.”
Onus on Bo Nix to Develop Critical Skill
GettyBo Nix has to continue to do his part to stay on the field for the Denver Broncos.
Lammey’s assertion was not putting the responsibility on Payton alone, but also on Nix to ensure that he is available for the Broncos.
“Bo, get it right. Get out there and then stay right. Do not be injury-prone,” Lammey said during the segment. “Availability is a skill. Bo Nix is a franchise quarterback, but if he’s not healthy, it’s like Jayden Daniels.”
Nix started all 17 regular-season contests and the Broncos’ playoff game as a rookie.
Nix started every regular-season contest and two of their three playoff tilts in 2026, too, but missed the AFC Championship Game due to his balky ankle.
Nix has had surgery on his ankle before. That was a contentious issue for the third-year QB and remains something to monitor for the Broncos. Both Nix and the Broncos have expressed confidence to the contrary about the long-term implications, though.
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