Ryan Fitzpatrick called Bo Nix's play "almost disrespectful to the quarterback position" after the Denver Broncos
' overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks
. The comment drew heavy backlash, and now, speaking on Fitz & Whit
with Prime Video
colleague Andrew Whitworth, the analyst says he wishes he'd put it differently.
"The line about being disrespectful to the quarterback position, it boiled over, and that's the one phrase I wish I could have taken back, because I think my criticism was fair," Fitzpatrick said
. "I don't think the effort and the competitiveness that he's shown in the past, I don't think he was showing that at the end of the game. That is somewhere I usually don't go, but that's what I felt. So, I do wish I could take that one line out and stand by that."
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It started with a rough night in Denver. Nix completed 17 of 27 passes for just 107 yards, about four yards per attempt, and the Broncos punted on six straight second-half drives. They still won, thanks to Sam Darnold's overtime interception, which set up the winning field goal.
However, Fitzpatrick wasn't willing to let the scoreboard settle it. On Prime Video's postgame show, he was blunt.
Fitzpatrick's sharp critique of Bo Nix just took an unexpected turn. Subscribe to stay on top of the NFL's most candid quarterback takes and evolving storylines.
"It's almost disrespectful to the quarterback position how he's playing football right now," Fitzpatrick said. "The guy doesn't want to throw the ball, that's fine. He's throwing to the flats, he's throwing behind, but he has no trust from his coach."
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Fitzpatrick's comments about Bo Nix may have been over the top, but Denver's offensive numbers explain why the quarterback has come under fire. The Broncos finished their overtime win with just 168 yards of offense, the fewest ever by a team in an NFL game it won in overtime, according to ESPN's Ben Solak.
Nix cannot take all the blame, but his passing numbers have become a concern. CBS Sports' Doug Clawson pointed to another issue with Nix's game. Through six games this season, his average air yards per attempt stood at 4.9, the lowest mark among 701 qualified quarterback seasons over the past 20 years. Nix's passes in the second half averaged less than the line of scrimmage, showing just how little the Broncos were pushing the ball downfield.
That does not necessarily mean Fitzpatrick was right to say Nix disrespected the quarterback position. However, the numbers raise questions about Denver's passing approach. Nix had 3,931 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season, so the strategy has worked for him before. But if he keeps relying on short throws instead of testing defenses downfield, the Broncos could struggle to sustain that success.
Even Tony Gonzalez added that Nix could end up on the bench if he can't turn things around.
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The numbers give him something to work with. Nix has currently 1,049 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions, and his 38.5 QBR is among the worst in the league. He has cleared 200 yards in just two starts, though he's gone past three games without a pick.
Denver is also 4-2, with wins over the Jaguars, Rams, Chargers and Seahawks and losses only to the Chiefs and 49ers. Arizona is next on Sunday.
Still, the offense has looked shaky. Sean Payton took playcalling back from Davis Webb before the Seattle game, the first time in his career he had handed it off, since he believed Webb had a "gift."
Fitzpatrick questioned Nix's effort and pointed at the coach too.
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"I can only imagine how Sean Payton feels," Fitzpatrick said. "I mean, Sean Payton, (offensive coordinator) Davis Webb, everybody that blocks for (Nix). He's not competing right now, and that's something that he's hung his hat on for the last two years. 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."
Not everyone agreed
. Aqib Talib, the former Broncos cornerback, took a shot at Fitzpatrick's 17-season, nine-team career. Fitzpatrick replied with a video pretending he'd just hung up on Talib.
"Just got off the phone with Aqib Talib…happy we were able to work through our differences," Fitzpatrick wrote.
Even after softening his wording now, Fitzpatrick still thinks something is off.
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"Something's going on with him," Fitzpatrick told Andrew Whitworth. "I don't know what it is. I sat there and watched Football on Sunday … that level in the fourth quarter from all the guys we were watching.
You watched CJ Stroud and Trevor Lawrence in that game [in Wembley], going toe to toe, one after another. Even Aaron Rodgers and Jalon Daniels in the fourth quarter. You had Josh Allen and Kirk Cousins, and you had Jacoby Brissett, and you had Matthew Stafford just going at it. That's the type of competitiveness that the quarterback position deserves."
Fitzpatrick may wish he'd chosen softer words, but his point hasn't changed. He wants more fight from Nix, and with the offense stuck, Sunday against Arizona is a chance to answer him.
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The post "I Wish I Could've Taken Back": Ryan Fitzpatrick Backtracks After Calling Bo Nix "Disrespectful to the QB Position"
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