The noise surrounding Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is getting loud.

Nix is off to an uneven start this season, which has led to a lot of questions about what’s going on with the former first-round draft pick.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton says Nix just needs to “let it rip.”

Nix, meanwhile, thinks the talk about his play this season is overblown.

“Playing good and playing bad, it’s a narrative and I think it’s honestly kind of something we make up,” said Nix on Tuesday. “I don’t think necessarily I’m playing any different than what I’m normally playing.”

Nix may not believe the narrative, but it’s to the point where ESPN’s Dan Graziano is now speculating that the third-year quarterback could get benched at some point.

Graziano reasoned that if the offense doesn’t improve after Payton took back play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Davis Webb, the next step would be to bench Nix.

“This is only speculative, but I wonder how long the Broncos will go with Bo Nix if he doesn’t start playing better,” wrote Graziano while discussing quarterbacks who could be benched this season. “They made the playcaller change for Week 5 and it didn’t seem to work, so you start to wonder if the problem isn’t the plays but the player.”

Denver’s top backup is Jarrett Stidham, a journeyman quarterback who has five career starts (including one in the playoffs last season with the Broncos) since entering the NFL in 2019.

I don’t see much upside in benching Nix in favor of Stidham.

It’s possible that if Nix doesn’t start playing that Denver will decline to commit to him as their starter going into 2027, but it’s hard to see him getting benched this season unless the wheels just completely fall off over the next few weeks.