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Bo Nix is having a rough 2026 season so far
While the Denver Broncos may have gotten the win against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, the team seemingly left the game with more questions than answers, particularly as it relates to its quarterback Bo Nix.
The Denver Broncos beat the defending champion Seattle Seahawks by a score of 17-14 in overtime on Thursday Night Football to improve to 4-2, but the postgame conversation on Prime Video wasn’t about the victory — it was about Bo Nix.
Ryan Fitzpatrick said on Prime Video’s postgame show that Bo Nix is “not playing competitively” and is “disrespecting” the position
Ryan Fitzpatrick, the longtime quarterback turned analyst, said the former Oregon Duck is “not playing competitively” and that it’s “almost disrespectful to the quarterback position.”
Fitzpatrick also criticized a third-and-eight screen call and said Nix has “no trust from his coach” and could “only imagine how Sean Payton feels.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick gave his thoughts after the Broncos’ overtime victory
#TNFonPrime https://t.co/AQ5wuThFjc
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) October 16, 2026
Nix went 17 of 27 for 107 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions, while Denver’s offense gained just 168 total yards and punted on all six second-half possessions.
The numbers back up the short-pass complaint, at least on social media. Doug Clawson noted Nix’s 4.9 air yards per attempt through six games ranks last among 701 qualified quarterback seasons over the past 20 years, and that his average pass in the second half Thursday was thrown behind the line of scrimmage.
There are 701 qualified QB seasons through 6 games in the past 20 years
2026 Bo Nix ranks 701st out of 701 in average pass length (4.9 air yards per attempt)
His avg pass was thrown behind the line of scrimmage in the 2nd half on Thursday
— Doug Clawson (@doug_clawson) October 16, 2026
Through the first six games of the 2026 season, Nix is completing 60.3% of his passes for 1,049 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.
While those stats don’t look disastrous on their surface, its the underlying metric of depth of target that’s so concerning, as it suggests he’s either unwilling or unable to test a defense by throwing deep: that 5.8-yard average depth of target is shorter than a 2026 Chevy Tahoe, for example.
Bo Nix won’t even throw the ball the length of a car this year https://t.co/Tr1X7M4bmh
— Onyx Odds (@OnyxOdds) October 14, 2026