In the grand scheme of things, a healthy back-and-forth between a coach and quarterback isn’t the biggest deal. After all, when we boil things down, a coach is just a supreme advisor to a quarterback, who is in the thick of the action every offensive play.
But I can’t say I’ve ever seen a rookie quarterback push back on someone with Sean Payton’s esteemed reputation. Kudos to Bo Nix for standing up for himself.
After the Broncos punted near the end of the third quarter during their matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, Fox cameras showed Payton trying to coach Nix up. In response, an animated Nix pushed back on Payton’s coaching in a way we don’t often see from very young signal-callers:
Broncos HC Sean Payton and rookie QB Bo Nix had this exchange on the sideline after Denver punted in their last drive.
: FOX pic.twitter.com/CxGDEA023i
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 6, 2024
Whatever these two were talking about seemed to be productive for the Broncos. Nix would quickly lead two touchdown drives on Denver’s next possessions, culminating with this beautiful touchdown pass to Josh Reynolds:
Nix Reynolds! @Broncos have scored 34 straight points in this game
: #LVvsDEN on FOX
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/dGnTLdhKGU— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
This is a good lesson for all young quarterbacks. It’s not a bad thing for you to speak up for yourself to your coach, no matter how established they are. That relationship can’t be a one-way street if your offense will be successful.
A quality coach-quarterback dialogue is an inherent part of the game and will probably benefit your team.
