John Elway Offers Strong Take on Broncos’ Bo Nix and Sean Payton

Getty Former Denver Broncos quarterback and executive John Elway on the field before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Bo Nix has already surpassed Hall of Famer John Elway’s rookie record. He led the Denver Broncos to five wins in October.

The two passers will be inextricably linked in franchise lore forever.

But they still have not had the face-to-face meeting that often occurs between a former face of the franchise and the next. It is especially notable given Elway’s role in and proximity to the organization in his post-playing days.

Still, the Hall of Famer has the utmost confidence in Nix and his pairing with Broncos head coach Sean Payton. Elway also took the blame for their missed connection.

“I have not had a lot of interaction [with Nix]. Since I’ve retired, I’ve kind of enjoyed the good life and been traveling a little bit. So I haven’t had a chance to really get over and spend a lot of time with Bo. But I think he’s in great hands, and it’s fun to watch … him work. It’s fun to watch Sean put him in the situations, what they’re doing offensively,” Elway told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on “The Adam Schefter Podcast” on November 19.

“Bo’s got all the tools and I think in today’s game, as you know, even though you can get by without the movement, it sure is an added bonus to be able to move around and extend plays like Bo’s been able to do. So I think the sky is the limit for him, and I think that it’s just going to continue to get better and better the more comfortable he gets.”

“I went to OTAs, was out there one time. And, obviously, he was getting tugged in a bunch of different directions, so I didn’t get a chance to say hello to him. But look forward to the time I do,” Elway told Schefter.

“He’s going to get a bunch of advice going into this first year, right? And if I could help him [in] any way, I would like to. But obviously, he’s getting great tutelage now with the coaching he’s got and the situations he’s in. So I look forward to meeting him. But like I said, it’s probably more my fault than anything else. Because once I retired again from football, it’s kind of been nice to kind of get away from it. I haven’t had a chance to get over there and meet him.”

John Elway Praises Sean Payton, Broncos Coaching Staff

“I know Sean was real excited about him after the draft,” Elway said. “I think it’s a great combination of a couple things. No. 1, Bo Nix. His maturity level, his skill level, and his experience that he had in college football. I think he started over 60 games in college, And so I think the experience level that he got was tremendous.

“I’ve always been up someone that really believes in these young quarterbacks, having a coach that can walk him through that first year And that’s where I think a lot of the credit goes to Sean and that staff of how they – the situations they’ve put him in. No. 1, the Broncos are playing tremendous defense, which I think is a little bit surprising. But they’ve been tremendous on defense. So therefore, no, they haven’t put them in situations offensively where they’ve had to put the whole burden on Bo’s shoulders. They’ve been able to run the football, play-action off [of it], and keep Bo in situations that he can handle.”

Elway’s point is notable. Nix has received for his play amid growing Offensive Rookie of the Year buzz.

It also comes after Payton tried to curtail some of the platitudes sent his young QB’s way.

CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso called Nix’s 4-touchdown performance in the Broncos’ 38-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11 “rare.” It was for a dubious reason, though. He credited Payton with the team’s success more than Nix, saying the coach did an “exquisite job.”

“This was one of those unusual quarterback performances that, individually, didn’t match the statistics,” Trapasso wrote on November 19.

“He mostly threw with accuracy, but a large chunk of the rookie’s production came on screens or throws to completely wide-open receivers. Two of his touchdowns were on screens, and another came when a tight end leaked out after blocking and there was no one close to him in coverage. This was a positive outing, but Nix himself did not orchestrate this impressive throttling of Atlanta.”

John Elway: Sean Payton Giving Bo Nix ‘More’ as Season Progresses

Payton espoused his belief that it was on the coaching staff and supporting cast – which largely consists of veteran players – to paint a clear picture for Nix when he drops back to pass. He has done that with his play calling.

Elway touted that and Payton putting more on Nix’s plate as the Broncos’ season progresses.

“Sean keeps giving him more and more each week because he can handle more,” Elway said. “So I think it’s a great combination of coaching on Sean’s part and his staff as well as Bo’s maturity level, experience level to where he’s done a tremendous job. And it’s exciting to see the Broncos playing the way they’re playing.”

Elway noted the additional pressure that the social media era has brought to an already high-stress position.

But he again credited Payton for helping rear Nix at an appropriate Pace.

“It takes time to adjust to the NFL from college football,” Elway told Schefter. “Everybody’s a great player [in the NFL], and so it takes time. And I think that patience is key with young quarterbacks.”