Broncos’ Bo Nix clap back at coach Sean Payton is why relationship works

The Bo Nix clap back deserves a standing ovation.

But not for the reasons you might think. It was not a slap in Sean Payton’s face. There is no need to put the quarterback and coach on a couch and let them talk it out.

What played out this week is not an example of a feud, but rather just the opposite. It is the secret sauce of their relationship.

Spoiler alert: Payton is hard to work for, as a player and a coach. This is why owner Greg Penner likes him. Payton creates high expectations and holds people accountable, which is the fabric of his elite culture building.

But Payton cannot help himself. He is not a vibes guy. He is a mood.

He takes jabs at opponents, media members, and, yes, on occasion, his own players. Earlier this week, Payton said he thought a doctor found “a condition that was, like, predisposed” when evaluating Nix’s ankle. What he meant, according to those in the know, was that there was stress on the bone, suggesting a fracture was inevitable. This came on the heels of Payton’s joke falling flat after the win over Buffalo when he said he would not have drafted Nix had he known about his previous ankle issues.

Nix, who placed his recovery time at 4-to-6 weeks, pushed back. This is what he does. Remember the sideline shouting match with Payton during his rookie season? How about the multiple times he has yelled at his coach to hurry up with the play calls this year?

“He doesn’t really even know that,” Nix said of Payton’s reference to previous ankle problems. “But I think it’s going to be good to get back to work, start from ground zero. Work from the bottom up, get back to training. And there is nothing really that concerns me, nothing that scares me going forward.”

Nix stands up to Payton. His position gives him stature, and it is appreciated in the locker room when Nix holds his ground with the coach. It is viewed internally as creative friction, the same back-and-forth that has defined the most successful partnerships in Payton’s career. He and Drew Brees had their disagreements. They came to understand each other, and their sense of humor.

There is a reason that Payton referred to Nix as Ferris Bueller as a rookie. The kid is not afraid to tweak the coach, to color outside the lines. Payton demonstrated the same tendencies as a young play-caller with the New York Giants.

Payton will pop off. And Nix, often with a smirk, will return the volley.

That trust and dynamic clearly did not exist in the Payton-Russell Wilson arranged marriage. Wilson never challenged Payton publicly until last year on social media over a perceived slight when Payton praised Giants starter Jaxson Dart.