Bo Nix Is Supposed to Be Off Limits—Broncos Need to Enforce It

There's too much at stake for the Broncos to ignore the unnecessary hits on their franchise quarterback in practice.

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) warms up before practice at Broncos Park. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A team's quarterback is sacrosanct in practice. He's suppposed to be untouchable.

And yet, since Denver Broncos training camp kicked off in late July, Bo Nix has been knocked to the turf twice by defensive teammates getting a little too carried away. It should be even more of a no-no for the Broncos because of the ankle injury Nix is returning from, which required two surgeries to correct this offseason.

Let's not forget: the second Nix was no longer a part of the game-day equation, all of the Broncos' best-laid plans and ambitions disintegrated. It came at the worst possible moment this past January, as we can all remember, with the Broncos one game away from the Super Bowl and set to host the AFC championship game.

The 2026 Broncos will only go so far as Nix can lead them. So why do the coaches continue to allow the team's franchise quarterback to keep getting hit by his teammates in practice?

It happened again on Tuesday — Day 13 of Broncos camp — with rush linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper collapsing the pocket from the outside and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach penetrating from the inside. Nix wasn't happy about it, jumping up off the turf and throwing the football at Roach, who was laughing and celebrating with his unit.

Unacceptable. Roach shouldn't have had time to celebrate with teammates because a coach should have been in his face immediately, and the same for Bonitto and Cooper.

Shortly after this incident, a fight broke out between the Broncos' defensive and offensive lines, creating a melee. Nix jumped in, pulling at Bonitto's leg to tug him off the pile. More yelling, more pushing and shoving — more unnecessary risk of injury.

I'm all for competition, but it's high time Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph steps in and has a long talk with his front seven, especially Roach, who's been involved in both instances of Nix hitting the ground in practice this summer. Apparently, D-line coach Jamar Cain — who, as we can see, is very good at his job — isn't communicating the message properly.

Perhaps head coach Sean Payton needs to step in here. One instance can be written off as happenstance; twice, and now we have a pattern. The situation is starting to feel a bit out of control, especially after the melee that sparked up shortly after, even though Nix played it down after Tuesday's practice.

“I love it. It’s football," Nix said after Day 13's fiery session. "It’s getting me ready for the games coming up, and it’s a physical practice out there played by physical people. It got intense, and we were just really enjoying it, and sometimes in the dog days of summer practice gets long and the intensity runs high. “

Intensity? No, Recklessness

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) and quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) warm up during training camp at Broncos Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's a fine line between practicing with intensity and being reckless. The great teams walk that razor's edge without crossing the line. As the head coach, Payton sets the standard, and the buck ultimately stops with him.

“Listen, Coach Payton talks about how to practice from Day 1, and we all know on defense to avoid the quarterback," Joseph said after practice. "It gets competitive, obviously, and guys are rushing to win the down, and sometimes they get too close. We simply remind them: ‘Bo’s our quarterback, and we don’t want anyone near Bo.’”

It's time for Payton, Joseph, and their assistants to do more than "simply remind" the players that Nix and his fellow quarterback brethren are off limits. There's too much on the line this season for the Broncos to keep getting too carried away in practice.

One thing leads to another, and BAM! The season is over before it even begins because the coaches couldn't effectively communicate the importance of Nix being off-limits, and the severity of the punishment for violating that mandate was nonexistent.

We know what this team looks like without Nix. Do the Broncos really want to tempt the football fates on that front?

Enough is enough. Time to act, coaches.

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