When the Broncos said Bo Nix was going to fight like heck to get back on the field, we didn’t realize they meant it literally.
“They have a lot in common,” , who mentored Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb a decade ago, told me by phone when I asked about Nix and his new play-caller. “And I think that Davis is the same kind of guy (as Nix): He’s a gritty, tough-minded, professional, hard-working kind of blue-collar guy.
“And I think the Broncos quarterbacks kind of fit the (mold) and get his personality. That’s why I think it’s such a great fit.”
Dykes wouldn’t be particularly shocked to hear that Nix, Scrappin’ Bo, was about to throw down with star pass-rusher Nik Bonitto Tuesday morning in the first big scrap of 2026 training camp. Or that Webb passed his first play-calling test with flying colors last Friday in Atlanta.
Same kind of guy, right? Tougher than old leather. Stubborn as a pack mule. With twice the kick.
“A Davis Webb offense will play with confidence. I think they will be aggressive,” Dykes explained. “I think that it’s going to be very quarterback-friendly. I think the quarterback is going to be very in tune with what he’s doing. And Davis will be very in tune with what the strengths and weaknesses are. And so I think that he’s going to do a tremendous job.
“I just think that he’s going to be exactly what you want. I think he’s going to be confident, aggressive, calm, relaxed. And do a great job building the offense around his quarterback. And I know from talking to him, I know he’s excited about doing it.”
Join the club. In Davis’ first 2026 game as play-caller, QB2 Jarett Stidham, the Johnny Unitas of the NFL preseason, completed nine of 15 throws for 131 passing yards in Atlanta, steering three of the Broncos’ first four drives of the night into scores.
How much fun could this offense be once Nix, who’s expected to make his August debut on Friday night at Empower Field against Green Bay, is back at the controls?
“I know (Webb) is excited about the quarterback personnel he’s got in the room at Denver,” Dykes continued. “I think he likes them all — as players and as people. And I think he’ll have a unique relationship with the quarterback.
“(Davis) likes his guys. Likes his guys, likes the work ethic of the room, the maturity of the room, I think the makeup of that room matches Davis’ personality. I think that’s very, very important.”
Dykes is an offensive savant who cut his teeth on the staffs of Mike Leach and Hal Mumme before winning at Louisiana Tech, Cal, SMU, and TCU.
Webb’s famous notebook of collected plays also features more than a few items lifted from The Dykes Collection. The Broncos OC played for Sonny in 2016 with the Golden Bears as a grad transfer from Texas Tech. Webb had originally committed to CU in January of ’16, only to flip to Cal in the spring after the latter hired Jake Spavital as offensive coordinator and QB coach.
“His maturity at a young age is what impressed me,” Dykes noted. “I think that he, probably as well as anybody that I’ve ever been around, understands the importance of the quarterback being comfortable with the game plan, being involved in the game plan, having a say.”
Webb threw 4,295 yards, 37 touchdowns, with 12 picks under Dykes,. Webb used that Berkeley P.T. as a springboard to the NFL Draft, where he was selected in the third round by the Giants in 2017.
“What I loved about Davis is, unlike a lot of quarterbacks, you ask them what they like, and they say, ‘Well, I like it all.’ And Davis was very specific,” Dykes recalled.
“I mean, he knew what he liked. He knew his strengths. I thought he had a lot of self-awareness. I think that’s a fantastic trait to have as a player. And probably an even better trait to have as a coach.
“I wasn’t around (him) in that long, but I remember thinking when he left, I’m like, ‘Yeah, that guy’s going to be a very, very successful football coach.’ And, ‘He’ll be a good quarterback, but he’ll even be a better coach.'”
Webb is a coach’s kid. Nix is a coach’s kid. Dykes is a coach’s kid. It’s nurture as much as nature. From ballboy on your dad’s teams to drawing up plays for fun to collaborating on game plans, Bo and Davis grew up in different states — Nix in Alabama, Webb in Texas — speaking the same mother tongue.
“Oh, for sure,” Dykes said. “And there’s something unique and different about that. I mean, look, I’m sitting here with my 9-year-old son, and we’re having conversations about football, and plays, and ‘How do you handle things? ‘And I just think that that is a unique relationship, and I think it lends itself to (those types of) guys having a lot of success.
“I think when you look around and you find that the really successful offenses, I think the play-caller and the quarterback have a unique relationship. There’s a synergy between those guys. And a belief in each other.”
Dykes sees a synergy with Payton, too. Even as the Jedi Master is still learning what it’s like to let go of the Force.
“Actually, I know Sean (Payton) pretty well,” Dykes said. “I think they’ll be great.
“And Sean knows. (As a coach), you know how good this team can be. So he just wouldn’t turn it over to anybody, I promise you.
“I think for guys to keep their play-calling status — it’s the thing I miss the most, probably, of all the stuff (from) being an assistant coach. You got to be really close with your players, because you spent so much time with certain guys … and like I said, Sean wouldn’t turn it over to Davis if he wasn’t completely confident in him. I think it tells you everything you need to know.”
