Bo Nix didn’t walk into Broncos training camp empty-handed. He came in with a full offseason of work, a week of drills with Drew Brees, and high hopes from fans and coaches. But even with all that, the pads are telling a different story. Denver’s defense—led by Pat Surtain II and Zach Allen—is straight-up owning the field. And Nix? He’s feeling it. Pressure’s flying at him from every angle, and the offense still can’t find its flow.

And just when things are already messy, Bo goes and launches a YouTube channel. Yup! His first video dropped late Monday night and already racked up over 18,000 views with 4,000+ subscribers in the bag. On the surface, it’s fun. I mean, who wouldn’t want a peek into the life of an NFL quarterback? But let’s be honest. This job’s not all lights and likes.

Broncos fans grew up on Super Bowls. They want that fire to be seen in their key player. But not everyone’s hating. In fact, Denver Sports came in swinging in defense of Bo’s new side project. “Why can’t Bo Nix have a YouTube channel in 2025? Why can’t he produce cool content, giving you behind-the-scenes looks at his training regimen and his thought process as a quarterback…?” And that’s the point, right? This isn’t just highlight reels and Q&As for clout. It’s actual football talk and breakdowns. The same stuff fans and media always say they want from a QB.

And last year, Nix has already proved himself. After throwing four picks in his first two games, he adapted. He got sharper in Sean Payton’s system. The turnovers dried up. He started seeing the field differently. If that growth doesn’t prove he’s locked in, what does? “We live in a world of absolutes where it has to be one or the other, and if he’s doing any of this, he’s clearly taking away from that. I don’t think so. And again, the fact that we all watched it and want to watch it and found it pretty damn cool is evidence that it’s probably worth making.” He’s not skipping out on playbook work. He’s just bringing fans along for the ride.

“I just want to continue to show these guys that I’m willing to work,” Nix said. “And find every which way we can to find wins and every which way for me to get better.” That mindset? It’s exactly what Denver’s been starving for. This city’s had nearly a decade of QB disappointment. But Nix changed that last season. Now the front office has stacked the deck for him—J.K. Dobbins at running back, Evan Engram at tight end—and it’s Year 2. Between the Brees mentorship and the hard camp reps, he’s giving everything to this shot. You don’t have to love the timing. But you can’t ignore the work.

Bo Nix and struggles mount as Denver’s defense turns up the heat in camp

Bo Nix’s reps at camp haven’t just been tough. They’ve been nonstop pressure. During 11-on-11s, it got ugly early. He hit Marvin Mims Jr. on a short throw, then immediately had to run for it after John Franklin-Myers came crashing in. Just chaos. Then came a near interception by Kris Abrams-Draine after what looked like a misread with Devaughn Vele. And this isn’t some one-off mistake. Nix has now thrown four picks across three practices, including two on Monday alone. He’s a second-year QB, sure. Growing pains are part of the deal. But this? It’s starting to feel like more than that.

And the pressure’s only getting worse. Denver just added Dre Greenlaw to a defense that was already stacked. Pat Surtain II is locking up receivers. The front seven’s living in the backfield. Reporters are calling it the most complete unit at camp—and they’re not wrong. But while the defense is flying high, the offense looks stuck. Mistakes. Penalties. Bad timing. Even Sean Payton had to crack a joke just to ease the tension. “Look, we’re charting picks here like hurricanes; he’s doing fine,” he said. It got a few laughs, but let’s be real, it didn’t hide the bigger problem.

Because the mistakes keep piling up. And after another sloppy practice, even with NFL refs on hand to help clean things up, Payton finally had to step in. “I told the players, I said, ‘I don’t want to turn and argue with the official… I just want to make sure we understand what they saw and why they called it, period.” That’s where the Broncos are right now: a defense that’s owning the field and an offense trying to figure it out.