Three mountain lions reside at the in Colorado Springs: Adira, Sitka and Koda. In Courtland Sutton’s eyes, there should be a fourth named Bo.
The Broncos veteran wide receiver compared quarterback Bo Nix to a mountain lion pacing in a zoo exhibit. Sutton said he’s excited to watch Nix’s first game action since he suffered a broken ankle in Denver’s wild-card playoff win over the Buffalo Bills.
“He’s like a mountain lion thatap in the zoo thatap just like pacing. I saw a mountain lion at the Colorado Zoo, he was just pacing back and forth,” Sutton said. “And I was like, ‘Y’all don’t want that boy to get out. Itap not going to be good.’ But thatap what Bo reminds me of, mentally you can tell he’s just like ‘I’m ready to go do this.”
Nix seemed to like the comparison.
“Out here there’s different animals you can encounter and I hear that it’s mountain lions and bears you don’t want to come across. I guess that’s a good comparison, one that I’ll take,” Nix said. “I feel like I’m pacing, I’ve been in this practice schedule for a long time and it’s exciting to get out there and go play another team.”
Courtland Sutton said Bo Nix was like a mountain lion. Nix’s thoughts on the comp🎥
— Sam Jane (@sam_jane230)
Denver’s opener against the rival Kansas City Chiefs will be a big test. The Broncos will face Patrick Mahomes in his return from injury, a raucous Arrowhead Stadium crowd and a Chiefs roster that will certainly be trying to reestablish itself as the top team in the AFC West.
But perhaps Nix’s scouting report on mountain lions was an emblematic look at Denver’s mindset as it enters the team’s most anticipated season in recent history.
“The thing about mountain lions is that usually when you notice them, it’s because they noticed you a long time ago,” Nix said.
Patrick Surtain II brushes aside potential extension
After Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez received a , Patrick Surtain II fell to the ninth-highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. Surtain’s contract is very team-friendly, as the star corner is widely considered one of the best cornerbacks in football.
The Broncos did give Surtain II a $5 million raise this offseason and he’s under contract through the 2029 season. When asked Tuesday if he was hoping to receive an extension, Surtain II deferred to his on-field play.
“I think that’s what the market is now. Everybody’s going to jump the market, but Gonzalez’s extension is well deserved, heck of a player. He’s definitely one of those guys that I look at and watch film on,” Surtain said. “When that time (for an extension) come, that time comes. But right now, I can only control what I can control and that’s being the best version of myself on the field.”
A Broncos draft crush on the Chiefs roster?
When asked about Kansas City running back Kenneth Walker, coach Sean Payton said the Chiefs selected a running back in the 2026 NFL Draft that Denver thought was “a real good player.” That would be rookie Emmett Johnson, who the Chiefs took in the fifth round.
Johnson went 46 picks after the Broncos took Jonah Coleman in the fourth round. Payton said there was a group of running backs that the Broncos were considering ahead of the draft, ultimately taking Coleman after he slipped to the fourth round. Johnson was in that group.
“We felt like he was one of those guys who was in that cluster. Real good speed, balance. He checked a lot of boxes. He was a highly regarded player,” Payton said.
The Chiefs waived veteran Emari Demercado in the offseason, meaning Johnson will be the backup behind Walker.
Running it back in white
The Broncos for the season opener. Denver practiced in its white helmets on Wednesday.
The team has worn the all-white look on just one other occasion: a 20-13 win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium last season. That win snapped a nine-game losing streak at Arrowhead Stadium.
