Sean Payton sends assertive message on Bo Nix ahead of Broncos rookie's playoff debut against Bills

Bo Nix had an impressive rookie season for the Denver Broncos. The young quarterback was only the sixth quarterback drafted in the 2024 NFL draft, but after a slow start, he quickly turned into a star for the franchise, leading them to their first playoff berth since the 2016 season.

In order to do so, Nix had to overcome an important challenge in Week 18. The Broncos haven't had much success against the Kansas City Chiefs in recent years, especially with Patrick Mahomes under center. Denver needed to win against Kansas City to qualify, and while the Chiefs played their backups, the pressure was still on.

It was fair to wonder if Nix, a rookie, would feel the pressure in such an important game. The result was a soundly 38-0 victory for the Broncos, with the young quarterback throwing four touchdowns and playing a fantastic game. Head coach Sean Payton, however, was not surprised to see such a performance:

"He's played in a lot of big games. And honestly, last week for him, for many guys, it was like a playoff game. So he's seasoned, and he's been in big moments. And you know what? He's going to play in bigger games."

Right after the 2024 draft, many analysts believed that the Broncos made a mistake by using the No. 12 overall pick on the quarterback. Breaking their eight-season playoff drought has been the best response from Payton to those questions.

Who will Nix, Broncos face in the first round of the playoffs?

After qualifying as the seventh seed in the conference, Denver will travel to play the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round. The Bills hold the No. 2 seed in the conference, and the game will be played on Sunday, at 1:00 p.m. ET, opening the three-game slate for the day.

Payton arrived in Denver during the 2023 season and had Russell Wilson as his quarterback to start. They never got to grips, and Wilson was subsequently released, opening the path for the head coach to select a new quarterback.