Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, reflected on his decision to step away from social media during a Friday press conference, drawing from lessons learned from past adversities.
Now thriving with an 8-2 record — leading the AFC West and tied for the NFL’s best mark — the 26-year-old Oregon alum emphasized tuning out external noise amid recent criticism to maintain focus.
The team’s success hinges on a stout defense, while the offense has struggled with Nix ranks 30th among NFL quarterbacks in off-target throws (18.5%) and 28th in completion percentage (60.8%).
That has drawn ire, none of which Nix is interested in hearing or seeing.
#Broncos QB Bo Nix was asked on criticism today. Said he handles it by deleting all social media.
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) November 12, 2025
“Unless somebody says it to my face — I don’t really hear it. And nobody’s ever bold enough to see it to my face.” pic.twitter.com/5f1wuK75Q2
“For whatever reason in life and in football, people think that we have this opportunity to doubt or question or hype up or tear down these guys,” he said. “It’s really sports in general who make this entertainment business a lot bigger than what it is. And we forget everybody just out here having a good time, having fun, doing the best they can.
But for me, it’s quite simple, really. I delete all my social media, I don’t even have it. So, unless somebody says that to my face, I really don’t hear it, and nobody is ever bold enough to say it to my face. Really, I don’t get on social media.”
Nix recalled a moment during his time at Auburn that showcased how nasty and vile social media can be, which caused him to rethink his use of various platforms. He believes his ability to tune out the criticism can serve as a lesson for the next generation of athletes.
“It allows other people to see how you respond to adversity, and there is a lot of younger kids out there. There are a lot of people who want to be in our shoes and wanna grow up just like us — hopefully they’re better,” he said. “But it’s good for them to know that not everything’s pretty, not everything’s happy-go-lucky. It definitely doesn’t go as planned.
“If this was what I had planned, you know, I would have won every national championship in college. We’d have won the Super Bowl last year, and we’d be undefeated right now. But unfortunately, the other team is trying to do the same thing. So, you know, life’s not about being fair. You’re gonna go through ups and downs. You’re going to face adversity. Honestly, a lot of people aren’t gonna like you.”
Head coach Sean Payton echoed Nix’s resilience, noting offensive woes stem from team-wide issues like slow starts and penalties, not solely the quarterback.
“It’s not Bo, it’s part of the whole process offensively,” Payton said, via ESPN.
Nix certainly has the right attitude, and we can all stand to learn something from him, especially when it comes to the use (or overuse) of social media.
