ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos believe they can do big things with their passing offense this season -- if quarterback Bo Nix can find a better rhythm from the ground up. Nix is coming off his second straight season with at least 25 touchdown passes, and he has brought Denver to the playoffs in both of his pro seasons -- including a 14-3 record and an AFC Championship Game trip in 2025. But coach Sean Payton and offensive coordinator Davis Webb have made it a priority to better sync Nix's footwork with the routes his receivers run on each play.

"He's a real good foot athlete ... I think it's one of his gifts," Payton said of Nix, who spent the offseason recovering from two surgeries following a fractured right ankle in the divisional playoffs. But Payton also said there is work to be done "within the framework of each pass play, the definement of a three-[step drop], three no hitch, one big [step], five and a hitch." The Broncos want Nix to continue to think fast, but their emphasis is getting his feet right and better timed with his progressions.

Despite the successful 2025 season, the Broncos found they didn't consistently challenge defenses down the field. Nix was 28th in the league in yards per attempt last season (6.4). He finished 26th in completion percentage over expectation, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Some of those troublesome numbers stem from Nix being one of the NFL's quicker thinkers, which helped Denver get 12 comeback victories a year ago.

Chase Daniel, who spent five seasons as the New Orleans Saints' backup when Payton coached there, said, "Sean's offense is very much timing and rhythm. So, there could be three different five-step drops, for example -- a slow-rhythmic one, a normal one and a really quick one." At times, Bo sped up his feet so he's already at the top of his drop and no receiver is out of his break, so he started to get to the checkdown too quick.