Payton Equates Bo Nix 'Sophomore Slump' Anxieties with Bigfoot Myth

Sean Payton is tired of being asked about Bo Nix and the dreaded "sophomore slump."

Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) talks with head coach Sean Payton against the Kansas City Chiefs prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Entering training camp, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton debunked the dreaded sophomore slump theory as it relates to Bo Nix. Predictably enough, several pundits have been quick to float the possibility that Nix might take a step backward in Year 2. 

The three rather average possessions Nix displayed in preseason Game 1 vs. the San Francisco 49ers inevitably led to a negative backlash in the press and with some fans. A couple of shaky subsequent practice sessions only further fueled the sky-is-falling tropes. 

On Thursday, Payton was compelled to once again dismiss these anxieties centered around the Broncos' young quarterback. 

"So last week was the sophomore jinx. And I challenged and I meant that respectively, I haven't been able to find that first-round real good season, maybe the team. I think that's a little bit cliche," Payton said on Thursday after the Broncos' joint practice with the Arizona Cardinals. "I would say the second-year climb probably realistically happens more. The other is like Bigfoot; it makes for a good question." 

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The Experience Antidote

The truth is, everything Nix achieved in his tremendous rookie year can be used as building blocks moving forward. His 61 college starts with two different schools, combined with the 18 games he played as a rookie, have allowed Nix to hit the ground running as a pro and forge chemistry with his supporting cast in Denver.

"I do believe in experience , and I believe when you have a good football player who's had a year of experience, especially at that position, you build confidence through demonstrated ability. You can wish for it, but I actually have to do it, then I think there can be a lot goes on around them," Payton explained. "So that's important. We talk all the time about painting the perfect picture for the 'Q' [quarterback] in order to get the best out of that position. Are the splits correct? The depth of the routes correct, the run? When all the stuff around them is on point, you're going to get the best, cleanest evaluation of that player." 

Coach On the Field

Front-and-center in the Broncos' quarterback and pass catcher chemistry is veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Payton has even started to suggest that Nix has a supplemental coach on the field in his No. 1 passing target.

"There are two ways vocally I can turn to Courtland," Payton said. "Last week, we had a few plays where if you're the inside receiver in the slot, we say you control the flight deck on or off. We had some penalties, two guys on or we weren't... And I just turned and yelled at Sutton. I said, 'You get that fixed.' Now [Wide Receivers Coach] Keary Colbert knows if I'm yelling at Sutton, I'm yelling at him as well. Courtland, it got handled this week."

That's not the only way that Payton relies on Sutton, who just signed a four-year, $92 million contract extension early in training camp's proceedings.

Super Bowl Expectations

"Then on top of that, he's out here. There are all the elements, the work ethic, the production, and how he lives his life and then how he handles this game," Payton said. "One of the challenges always in free agency is you can't pay everyone, but you want to make sure you're paying make up in character because the contract, none of that will impact just how he practices and how he approaches the game. It's really beneficial for us as an offense." 

Honestly, the manic sophomore slump talk that has focused on Nix only came about because overall expectations for the Broncos' 2025 season have blasted through the roof. The idea being that a Year-2 regression at quarterback is the only thing that could derail the deep and talented Broncos.

Payton's rock-solid belief that Nix can manage the pressure of his head coach openly talking about this team's championship ambitions has been unflinching throughout the summer. It owes a great deal to Payton knowing that sometimes quarterbacks simply fit with certain coaches, systems, and players. When that chemistry is there, it's the ultimate prophylactic for the sophomore slump virus infecting a young signal-caller.

"So the cast around the player has a lot to do with maximizing what the player can be," Payton said. "And we've all seen it in the draft. There's probably a number of quarterbacks if taken somewhere else, what would their career look like?" 

The Takeaway

After his strong showing against the Cardinals in Thursday's joint practice, Nix looked entirely comfortable with the offense he's running. With Payton opting not to play his starters in preseason Game 2, there's a good chance fans won't see Nix again until the regular-season opener.

That likely means that the Year-2 anxieties surrounding Nix will be sticking around social media for what remains of August. Unless, Payton suddenly defies convention and decides to play him in the preseason finale vs. the New Orleans Saints.

However, with Payton so soundly rebuking the sophomore slump talk, Broncos Country can safely give up that particular ghost. After all, when the oddsmakers set Denver's over/under win total in 2025 at 5.5 wins, Payton scoffed at such notions with much the same tone.

Even if one isn't inclined to trust Nix quite yet, after eight years of quarterback incompetence and fan trauma before the Broncos drafted him in the first round, Payton has proven to be trustworthy. Lean into that proven coaching track record.