For a team that made it to within a field goal of earning a Super Bowl berth, the Denver Broncos sure are generating more than their share of offseason controversy. It’s all about coach Sean Payton, mostly, and the Broncos landing at fourth in the final power rankings of The Athletic, which were written by Josh Kendall and Chad Graff, who also added a pithy takeaway:
“Couples counseling awaits”
Payton has made a lot of people in in the building unhappy lately, to the point where NFL writer Ben Volin of the Boston Globe has referred to the aftermath as “a fracture in the building.” Part of it is about the sudden wave of coaching changes, and Payton fired three coaches, including two on the offensive side of the ball, when he realized that his passing game coordinator, Davis Webb, had a solid shot at landing a head job, maybe even within the division.
Payton’s solution wasn’t elegant by any means, but it did get the done. It streamlined the chain of command in Denver, although there’s still that massive question about whether Webb will actually get to call plays now that he’s been elevated to the role of offensive coordinator.
The other person who’s unhappy with Payton is quarterback Bo Nix. It’s hard to blame him given the sequence events, as Payton revealed key medical information about Nix in the wake of the broken ankle the quarterback suffered in the Broncos’ 33-30 OT win over the Buffalo Bills in the division round.
That’s where the “couples counseling” comment comes into play. Payton revealed that Nix has broken that same ankle a couple of times, and his conclusion was that Nix was “predisposed” to the injury.
Nix wasn’t happy about that at all, and he let it be known on a video conference call after the season ended.
“I don’t think he really should share how many surgeries I’ve had in the past, to be honest with you,” he said. “He doesn’t even really know that.”
None of this has been resolved at all, really, and it’s going to be a key component of what will be a tricky offseason for Denver. After Payton’s comments, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll continue to be committed to Nix as his long-term quarterback, especially after subsequent comments from Nix have surfaced that he’ll “stay in his lane” going forward.
We’re probably not going to know more about this until Nix gets further along in his healing process and rehab, but it’s the key question going forward that will determine if Denver gets another legitimate shot at that Super Bowl berth.