Ed McCaffrey has seen enough of the Bo Nix criticism. After the Denver Broncos beat the Seattle Seahawks in overtime on Thursday night, the team’s stalled offense drew sharp reactions from fans and analysts, with Nix at the center of it. The Broncos legend answered on X, telling critics to back off a team that left Seattle with a win.
“Stop, just stop. Enough already. Apparently winning isn’t enough anymore. Bo Nix and the @Broncos weren’t perfect, but they still won the game. Winning in the NFL is hard. Enjoy it. #BroncosCountry,” Ed McCaffrey posted on X.
The Broncos are 4-2, and that record looks good. They’ve picked up wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, and Seattle Seahawks, with their only losses coming against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
But it hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans that the offense has been struggling. Head coach Sean Payton had to take back playcalling duties from Davis Webb before the Seattle game. This was the first time in Payton’s prolific career as head coach that he had given up playcalling, believing that Webb had a “gift.” But the numbers recorded so far proved him wrong.
After six games, the Broncos are averaging only 252.2 total offensive yards per game, ranking second-worst in the league. Denver sits in the middle of the pack when it comes to total rushing yards, having tallied 505.
And then there’s star QB Bo Nix, who is finding it difficult to maintain the label.
The quarterback has considerably reduced the average depth of his passes; per CBS Sports’ research, Nix is at 5.6 yards per attempt so far in 2026. Whereas in 2024 and 2025, his averages were 6.7 and 6.4 yards per attempt, respectively.
The Broncos might not be ready to panic, but Ryan Fitzpatrick sure is. The former NFL quarterback said Nix is “not competing right now” after a flat performance.
“It’s almost disrespectful to the quarterback position how he’s playing football right now,” Fitzpatrick said. “The guy doesn’t want to throw the ball, that’s fine. He’s throwing to the flats, he’s throwing behind, but he has no trust from his coach.”
Tony Gonzalez piled on, suggesting Nix could end up on the bench if he can’t turn his season around.
Fitzpatrick even questioned Nix’s effort and said Sean Payton has “no trust” in his quarterback.
“I can only imagine how Sean Payton feels,” Fitzpatrick said. “I mean, Sean Payton, (offensive coordinator) Davis Webb, everybody that blocks for (Nix). He’s not competing right now, and that’s something that he’s hung his hat on for the last two years. I don’t know if he’s still injured; I don’t know what’s going on. But it’s not good enough. It’s effort.”
Ed McCaffrey still believes in the quarterback. The Broncos great, who played in Denver from 1995 to 2003 and won three Super Bowls, answered a fan on Friday who said the criticism was fair. McCaffrey agreed that it’s “fair game” to “criticize the throws, the decisions, the offense.”
“But questioning Bo’s heart and desire to win? That’s a different story,” McCaffrey wrote.
He also pointed to the record and what the team has been through. “The grass isn’t always greener,” McCaffrey told another commenter. “And 4-2 ain’t bad.”
Here’s where Nix stands overall. He has completed 114 of 189 passes (60.3%) for 1,049 yards, 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. His best day came against Jacksonville, where he threw for 288 yards and a touchdown with a 97.2 rating. He has been sacked 8 times in total, added 37 rushing yards (this is another problem altogether), and scored a rushing touchdown.
For now, Denver is winning mostly on defense, with an offense that plays it safe and tries not to lose the game.