Now that Sean Payton doesn’t have to get the QB, it’s about getting better around Bo Nix

PALM BEACH, Fla. — For Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos, the questions took on a different flavor Monday morning when he sat down at the AFC Coaches Breakfast.

They weren’t as pointed. The atmosphere was more laid-back. So it goes when you’re not searching for a quarterback, when the concern is how to support the player that you found at the game’s most important position, rather than searching for the foundational piece for the game’s most important position.

Thanksgiving is nearly eight months away, but with spring in the air, Payton was thankful.

“I appreciate not being in that quarterback market,” he said Monday morning. “That’s difficult.”

There's a lot for Broncos coach Sean Payton to appreciate this year, including …

"I appreciate not being in that quarterback market," he said Monday morning. "That's difficult. I was — we were talking last night, George (Paton) and Greg (Penner), you know, obviously there's a… pic.twitter.com/wnNGE5jLrd

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) March 31, 2025

“We were talking last night, George and Greg, you know, obviously there’s a lot of pressure to get that right and when you don’t have it right, it’s one of those positions where it can kind of consume you as an organization.

“And fortunately, a year ago this time we were able to do that.”

Now, the focus turns to what the Broncos can do around Nix. And when asked about how Nix can take the next steps, Payton pointed not to the quarterback — but to the supporting cast, and what the coach calls the “interior triangle” of pass-catching targets.

“Well, I think — look, we’ve talked about it for two years now: The interior triangle of your passing game, the tight end, the running back, the third receiver,” Payton said.

One-third of that was crossed off the list with the signing of Evan Engram. But the notion of a “joker” running back remains very much in play, and the idea of adding another wide receiver is one that doesn’t seem dead.

“When you’re seeing a lot of these coverage shell looks, those positions have to thrive,” Paytons aid. “And so, the very logistical answer to your question is Engram’s closer to Bo than the receivers sometimes.

“The matchups inside, I think — I just think, man, it’s hard to play that position if you’re not able to attack the interior triangle of some of the looks we’re getting defensively.

“This, I think helps Bo.”

Thus, questions remain unanswered.

But the biggest one? The one that dominated chatter for most of the last nine years — the one that briefly seemed resolved when the team traded for Russell Wilson but wasn’t truly remedied until last year?

Fortunately for the Broncos, that’s not on their docket this year.

 

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