The Denver Broncos got a positive report on Bo Nix's health in minicamp, but that won't stop the criticism.
Few NFL quarterbacks have taken more criticism than Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos, which is fairly remarkable because he’s just two seasons into what he hopes will be a long career. Nix posted several epic comeback wins last season, but for the critics, the focus remains on the inconsistent performance of the Broncos offense, not to mention his health status after the broken ankle he sustained against the Buffalo Bills in the division round of the playoffs.
The back-and-forth quote battle between Nix and coach Sean Payton drew most of the attention when the Broncos fell short of the Super Bowl, but Denver Post columnist Troy Renck did a column recently with some interesting material from tackle Mike McGlinchey about how Nix deals with the steady flow of criticism.
“He does not care what people think. That is a superpower in this league. And he has it,” McGlinchey said. “It gives him the ability to go out there and play free, play loose. He cherishes it. On top of the maturity and knowledge he has gained over the last two years, he is made of the right stuff. That’s why I believe he’s the guy.”
The Broncos still believe that, too. They went out and traded for receiver Jaylen Waddle to give Nix an extra explosive weapon, and they’ve promoted Davis Webb to offensive coordinator to innovate and help the Denver offense play faster.
McGlinchey believes in Nix, based on what he saw during those comeback drives.
“A coach told me a long time ago that you have to be a little screwed up to be good at this and we all are in some shape and form. You look at Bo in the huddle, you see that fire in his eyes and you know this guy has got something special to him,” McGlinchey said.
This isn’t something new, either. The Broncos offense struggled far more significantly during Nix’s first season, which was a big part of the reason they were basically a token playoff team that went out in the wild card round.
“You could feel it the first time he stepped on the field as a rookie," McGlinchey added. "And all it has done is grow. It’s not even the comebacks that we all know about. It is just the way he has developed and trusts everyone around him.”
Nix will take more heat going forward, without a doubt. Critics will see less mobility, regardless of how well he performs in camp, and they’ll also point to the Broncos’ brutal early schedule as a big reason why the Broncos can’t repeat as AFC West champs. But Nix will brush that off, based on McGlinchey’s comments, with his confidence undented.
