Benching Bo Nix wouldn’t make the Broncos any better

Fox Sports NFL analyst Joel Klatt says pulling a struggling quarterback can make sense when a team has a great defense, but he doubts Denver has a better option behind Bo Nix.

The talk about benching Bo Nix has gotten louder in Denver. A few weeks ago it was a fringe idea. Now it comes up on local radio, in national segments and in questions to Sean Payton at the podium. Nix’s numbers have dropped to the worst level of his career, and Mark Schlereth has suggested a short break might help him reset.

There’s an important question that hasn’t gotten much attention, though. Would a different quarterback actually make the Broncos better?

On a recent edition of “Stokley and Evans, with Mark Schlereth” on 104.3 The Fan, Fox Sports NFL and college football analyst Joel Klatt was asked how long he would wait.

“How much longer would you stick with Bo if this continues, before you make a change?” Mike Evans asked.

Klatt answered by pointing to how well the rest of the team is playing.

“Well the problem is that like, the team is still playing well. Like, do we really think that this is gonna get better with somebody else? I don’t know,” Klatt said.

The Broncos are 4-2. The defense ranks 10th in the NFL in points allowed at 20.8 per game and third in sacks with 18. Special teams has made big plays. The offense is the clear weak spot, but the team around it is good enough to win. That makes the quarterback decision harder. If Denver makes a change and it goes badly, it could hurt a season that is still on track.

Klatt compared the situation to a decision he’s covering in college football this week.

“I think about it from a college sense. Like for instance, I’m doing Michigan this week. They’re gonna switch to Tommy Carr from Bryce Underwood, and I’ve largely said like, ‘Well, they have to do that ’cause you’ve gotta give yourself the best chance to win, based on this excellent defense that they have.’ They have the number one yards per play defense in college football. And so I’m like, ‘Well, you gotta give those guys a chance. They’re gonna keep it in the game. You know, you owe it to put the most productivity on the field,'” Klatt said.

The logic is easy to follow. When a defense is elite, the coaching staff owes it to that unit to put the most productive quarterback on the field. If a backup can protect the ball and keep the offense on schedule, he may give the team a better chance than a struggling starter.

Klatt said that logic only works when the backup is actually better.

“And I would say the same with Denver. Although like, do we really think whatever’s behind Bo is gonna be better?” Klatt said.

That’s the problem with benching Nix. Jarrett Stidham is the backup, and his last meaningful start was the AFC Championship loss after Nix broke his ankle. Sam Ehlinger looked good in the preseason, but preseason games against backups are very different from regular-season games against starting defenses. Neither one has shown he would be a clear upgrade.

A benching could also cost Denver more than the box score shows. A franchise quarterback sitting midseason would shake Nix’s confidence and could unsettle a locker room that has won four of six games. The Broncos would be giving up their best long-term option for a short-term gamble that may not pay off.

For Klatt, the answer is still Bo Nix, just a better version of him. The quarterback who led Denver to back-to-back playoff trips and kept winning late is still the Broncos’ best path. He needs to calm his feet, trust his protection and take the easy throws. Klatt thinks that version of Bo Nix gives Denver a better chance than anyone currently behind him.

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