All eyes have been on Bo Nix since the shocking announcement of his season-ending ankle injury just minutes after a thrilling comeback overtime win against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round. Since that day, the news around Nix and his rehab has been mostly on schedule and positive and now that training camp has begun, head coach Sean Payton has confirmed he is all the way back and good to go.
When asked where Nix could take a step in his third season, Payton mentioned how great of a season he was
already coming off of and the real improvement will come from improving the offense around him.
“The next step is kind of cliché,” Payton said. “He just finished winning 14 games and having a really good season. Do I think he’s going to continue to improve? Yes. I’m pleased with the shape he’s in. The timeline relative to everything we’ve discussed injury-wise is falling into place. It’s good to have him back out there in the team periods. I think there are certain areas for us offensively that can help with the quarterback, a consistent run game throughout the year. There are some things that we can do to help him, so we’re off and getting started.”
I touched on this in my last post about what Jaylen Waddle will bring to the offense. The offense essentially brought everyone back and the only changes at starter-level positions is in play-calling from Davis Webb and the trade for Waddle. Ironically, both could end up playing a pivotal role in helping the offense find sustained consistency in games — something it lacked in large stretches of games last season.
Nix nearly passed for 4,000 yards last season and, I believe, if all goes well in 2026, he won’t need to come close to that number for this team to make a huge leap in efficiency and scoring. If they can find both, this team is going to be a serious Super Bowl contender.
