During Thursday's Broncos-Seahawks broadcast on Prime Video, former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, serving as a studio analyst for the streaming platform, offered a direct assessment of how Bo Nix performed at quarterback. Nix completed 17 passes for 107 yards, finishing with a passer rating of 71.1.
Fitzpatrick expressed the view that the quarterback's current approach to the game borders on disregard for the position itself, pointing to a pattern of short, flat-footed throws and suggesting the player operates without the confidence of his coaching staff. On third-and-eight, a screen pass was called while the clock continued to run. The quarterback released the ball, Seattle recovered possession, and the Seahawks still had a timeout remaining.
In overtime, the player had two opportunities to contribute, with the final one being a designed run — a play built around him creating separation, avoiding a defender, and moving the chains. Following the game, the coach noted that the squad returned to the locker room in good spirits after the win.
The player's absence from competitive football at this stage stands in contrast to the on-field participation he has built his reputation around over the past two seasons — a reality that figures to weigh on Sean Payton, Davis Webb, and the linemen blocking for him. Fitzpatrick acknowledged uncertainty about whether the player was dealing with an injury, noting that the situation, whatever its nature, fell below the expected standard.
Fitzpatrick's view was that Nix's on-field output fell short in terms of effort and competitive drive, and that the Broncos quarterback appeared to treat his place in the starting lineup as assured — a level of play that, in Fitzpatrick's opinion, many with experience in the league would consider below the expected standard. Fitzpatrick stated that the performance fell well short of acceptable standards and that the player had not demonstrated the level of play expected of an NFL quarterback, adding that the fanbase deserved more from the team.
Speaking to reporters after the final whistle, Nix described a Broncos attack that has had difficulty generating big plays. Securing a victory stood as the top priority coming out of Thursday's match, he noted, adding that his ability to read the field had felt sharp — particularly in the opening stretch when the team found room to play with some aggression.
As the match unfolded, third-down conversions appeared to take on an outsized role in shaping how each possession played out. Periodically, a chance to attempt a long pass would open up. Nix noted that the opposing defense had shifted into a Cover-2 shell at that point, leaving receivers with roughly 10 yards of open space on outlet routes, and he voiced uncertainty about why the offense had not been attacking vertically with more consistency.
Opposing defenses have been content to drop into coverage and wait. The coaching staff indicated that the ground game would remain the primary offensive focus going forward, with the aim of finding ways to draw greater value from it.