A former Denver Broncos quarterback is pushing back on what he calls a tired take about Bo Nix, saying the conversation around the starter has drifted too far from what actually happens on the field.
Ben DiNucci, who spent time on the Broncos practice squad as recently as January, took to social media Tuesday to defend Nix after a wave of skepticism about the third-year quarterback.
“The Bo Nix narrative on here is ridiculous,” DiNucci wrote.
He pointed to Nix’s early-career results and added, “24 wins first two years of career – T1 all time.”
DiNucci called that mark “Pretty good…” and finished with a jab at the loudest critics: “Convinced people don’t even watch the Broncos play.”
The comments landed the same day former NFL offensive lineman Willie Colon questioned how much Nix actually drives Denver’s wins.
Colon, a Super Bowl champion who played 10 seasons with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, made the remarks on “Good Morning Football.”
“Last year, man, when they played the Patriots and AFC championship, I thought–without Bo Nix–the Bronx was still going to win. Not only because they were home, but they had the better roster. That didn’t happen. The Patriots went and, obviously, lost in the Super Bowl,” Colon said.
He then turned to the current season and the questions still hanging over Nix.
“You go into this season, you don’t have Jonathon Cooper. Bo Nix, you gotta figure out where he’s at. He didn’t play a whole lot and the preseason.”
Colon boiled his view down to one line that has been circulating since the show: “Bo Nix helps the Broncos win games, but they don’t win games because of Bo Nix.”
He did give the franchise credit for talent and regular-season success, but he kept circling back to playoff inconsistency.
“They have a championship-type roster, and they’re considered contenders. But yet there’s still this up-and-down come playoff time. And, valid, they have a lot of success in regular season. But come playoff time, they kind of in the middle of the road. I’m just waiting for them to pop right now.”
Colon tied the next step directly to Nix and coach Sean Payton.
“For me, with Sean Payton and where that roster looks, where Bo Nix is as a quarterback– because how I see Bo Nix and the Broncos is like, yeah, Bo Nix helps the Broncos win games, but they don’t win games because of Bo Nix. And so, I think that’s the jump. I think that’s what we have to see out of the Broncos. Can we see Bo Nix do the impossible in crucial situations. And we’ll see. But right now, the Broncos, for me, are the hardest teams to figure out.”
That last point is the heart of the argument. Some observers still treat Nix as a complementary piece on a roster built around defense and coaching. DiNucci and others who have been in the building see it differently.
Nix led the league in game-winning drives last regular season even after the running game slipped following J.K. Dobbins’ injury in Week 10. The ground attack finished 17th overall, which made those late-game throws even more important.
Denver reached the AFC championship game last winter, then lost to New England after Nix was already out with a broken ankle. Colon used that result as proof the roster should have been enough without him. The Broncos’ supporters use the same result as proof of how much the offense missed its starter.
Nix remains a polarizing figure heading into another season. Credit for Denver’s wins often goes to Payton’s scheme or the defense first. The former teammate who shared a locker room with him is tired of that framing.
Whether Nix can quiet the debate in the biggest moments is the question Colon wants answered. DiNucci’s response made clear he thinks the tape already has.
