Former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was not impressed with Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix's performance in the team's ugly 17-14 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 6.
"Bo Nix is not playing competitively," Fitzpatrick said during Prime Video's post-game show. "It's almost disrespectful to the quarterback position how he's playing football right now."
Fitzpatrick went on to say Nix "doesn't wanna throw the ball," and he suggested the quarterback has "no trust" from coach Sean Payton. One of the plays Fitzpatrick highlighted was Nix's effort on the QB's overtime run in which he failed to make a defender miss before Denver's game-winning field goal.
Ryan Fitzpatrick gave his thoughts after the Broncos' overtime
victory#TNFonPrime pic.twitter.com/AQ5wuThFjc
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) October 16, 2026
Fitzpatrick's rant has gone viral on social media, with Prime's tweet approaching five million views.
"He's not competing right now, and that's something that he's hung his hat on for the last two years," Fitzpatrick said. "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."
As recently as Week 4, Nix has had "some swelling and stiffness" in his ankle, but the quarterback has insisted his ankle is healthy and not holding him back. However, Nix is averaging just 6.2 rushing yards per game this season after averaging 20.9 rushing yards per game in 2025. Nix simply hasn't looked like the QB who used his mobility as a weapon from 2024-2025.
Payton specifically mentioned in his post-game press conference that the Broncos believed "being smart with the football" was going to be "a big deal" on Thursday. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold threw two interceptions and Seattle turned the ball over three times while Nix and the Broncos did not have any turnovers.
So it certainly seems possible that Nix was playing conservatively with the fear of making a mistake on his mind. Nix admitted earlier this week that he has a tendency to overanalyze and overthink, and he's been overly cautious about not turning the ball over and potentially hurting the team.
There's a fine balance between protecting the football and averaging 3.96 yards per passing attempt and showing little tenacity on running plays. Maybe the impact of his ankle injury is still lingering, either physically or mentally (or both). Maybe Nix is just overthinking, and that's causing him to be too conservative. Whatever it is, Fitzpatrick's assessment that Nix isn't playing like the QB we saw from 2024-2025 is accurate.
The good news for Nix and Denver's offense is that the schedule is about to get easier on paper. After a brutal six-game stretch to begin the campaign, the Broncos are 4-2, and there's significant room for improvement. If Nix can settle down and return to last season's form, Denver could make another deep playoff run this season.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Ryan Fitzpatrick went viral after blasting Bo Nix's 'disrespectful' performance on 'TNF'
