Arizona Cardinals Sound Off On Bo Nix's Joint Practice Performance

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has faced harsh criticism following his rough performance against the San Francisco 49ers, but it turns out that one preseason game might not be a fair assessment of his second-year potential.

The former Oregon Ducks quarterback faced off against the Arizona Cardinals in a joint practice ahead of a preseason clash. During the practice, Nix’s play caught the attention of several Cardinals.

“He has what it takes,” defensive end Calais Campbell said. “He’s poised, makes quick decisions … I felt like he understood every situation … All the stuff I look for, he’s pretty good at.”

Oregon Ducks Denver Broncos Bo Nix Arizona Cardinals San Francisco 49ers Sean Payton Kyle Shanahan Calais Campbell — Dec 19, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

“Bo, you can tell he definitely took the Year 2 leap,” linebacker Mack Wilson said. “Just comparing what I saw last year with him as a rookie, he was out there making no-look throws and stuff. I’m just really happy for him.”

Nix and the starters aren’t expected to play in the preseason game in Arizona, but the quarterback will have one last tune-up against the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 23.

Nix’s Questionable Performance Draws Criticism

The second-year quarterback started the first preseason matchup against the 49ers but was pulled early. He went without a touchdown and competed only six of his 11 passes for 31 yards, while also taking a two-point safety.

Prior to the preseason debut, the Broncos and media hyped up Nix’s potential in Year 2. He comes off a season where he took Denver to the playoffs for the first time in eight years and was recently named the No. 64 player on the NFL Top 100 list.

That hype came to a halt following his performance against San Francisco. Former Broncos running back Philip Lindsay was among those to critique Nix, saying that he needs to “stop forcing and pressing things.”

“Stop getting ready for your next motivational video and just calm down,” Lindsay said on The Drive podcast. “Bo is going to be just fine, and it was the first preseason game. But for Bo, once you’re in that rut, sometimes it’s hard to get out of it, and you need a little bit of confidence, and Bo needs to keep his confidence.”

Others have gone as far as to question Nix’s starting role with the franchise long term. Broncos coach Sean Payton, on the other hand, believes that his quarterback will be a top player in the league in the coming seasons and has the potential to lead Denver to the Super Bowl as soon as this season.

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Kyle Shanahan Sings Praise

Despite Nix’s preseason showing not being the sharpest, it appears that his production in training camp has shown that he’s ready to level-up his play this season.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan was just as impressed as the Cardinals following a joint practice on Aug. 7.

"Huge fan of him. We loved him coming out of college," Shanahan said. "And I thought what he did last year was unbelievable, but anytime you’ve got a quarterback with a big arm who's very mobile, made of the right stuff, extremely tough. I mean, they got a real good one."

It took Nix and the Broncos a few games to find their stride in 2024. By the end of the season, the team won 10 games, and Nix threw for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns. Nix’s start to his Oregon career was a similar story, throwing two interceptions in his first game with the Ducks in 2022. He left the program with multiple records and the No. 12 draft pick.