Broncos coach Sean Payton earlier this month scoffed about talk of a sophomore jinx for a quarterback, calling it a legend “like Bigfoot.”

Well, Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner said it is real, and he wasn’t talking about Sasquatch.

To start with, Warner is a “big fan” of Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, and he isn’t suggesting he is about to fall victim to the sophomore jinx in his second season. But he said it is indeed something that must be taken into consideration after a quarterback has a strong rookie campaign.

“I always buy into that,’’ Warner, an analyst for NFL Network, told The Denver Gazette. “There’s good defensive players and coaches on the other side that say, ‘Let’s take this away and let’s see what they do from there.’ Defenses make the game harder because they have more of a book on who you are as a player and what your offense is with you in it. … I definitely buy into it whether it is a sophomore slump, or teams can make the game harder for you in your second year or beyond.”

So, what does Nix have to do to avoid the sophomore jinx or slump or whatever you might want to call it?

“It’s not necessarily about overcoming it but if somebody takes away this strength, do you have the ability to do what you need to do beyond that,’’ Warner said. “If somebody takes away your number one (option), do you have the ability to get your number two, number three consistency and quickly to make the right adjustments? … I think it’s all about consistency (for Nix). It’s about seeing the field a little bit better, being able to play on time, on schedule a little bit more.”

Warner is confident, though, that Nix has what it takes to have another strong season for the Broncos. Last year, after being the No. 12 pick and sixth quarterback taken in the 2024 draft, Nix threw for 3,775 yards with 29 touchdowns and led Denver to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Warner saw one Broncos game in person last season and said he watched all of their 2024 games on tape. He will be looking on closely when Denver opens the season next Sunday against Tennessee at Empower Field at Mile Field.

“I think obviously (Nix) had a great rookie year and got better and better as the season went along, which is kind of what you’re hoping for,’’ Warner said. “He was able to create with his legs and make some big-time throws. … I think he did what was asked of him to as the season went along and when they asked him to do a little bit more, he handled it extremely well. So, I’m excited to see year two when he can just be reactive and be very familiar with not only (Denver’s) offense but the NFL.”

Payton recently told Yahoo Sports that Nix has the ability “to be one of the top four or five quarterbacks in the league the next two years.” Warner, though, said it’s premature to speculate on that.

“I mean, the top five guys are special and elite and rare and so we’ve got some really good (quarterbacks) in the league right now,’’ Warner said. “I know obviously (Nix had) a great rookie year. He looked really good but to become one of those guys you have to be different in certain areas, and we’ll get a chance to see that.”

Nix will look to avoid a drop-off such as the one Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud had in his second season. Stroud threw for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions for a 100.8 passer rating and won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. But in 2024 he threw for 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions for a passer rating of 87.0. The Texans, though, did go 10-7 for the second straight season and again won a wild-card playoff game.

As for former Denver coach Gary Kubiak, he also is a “big fan” of Nix. And he agreed with Warner about how opponents will turn it up a notch in hopes of slowing down Nix.

“People are studying you every day,’’ said Kubiak, a Broncos quarterback from 1983-91 and their head coach from 2015-16, which included winning Super Bowl 50 in first season. “That’s what NFL coaches do. They don’t recruit. They sit in their office all offseason and study players, especially in their divisions, where you play people twice (a year).”

So other AFC West coaches Andy Reid of Kansas City, Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers and Pete Carroll of Las Vegas no doubt have been studying Nix plenty. With the quarterback having six games 2025 games on the schedule against those teams, we’ll see how the legend of the sophomore jinx might unfold or not.

What I’m hearing

– After recently waiving running back Blake Watson, the Broncos have interest in signing him to their practice squad, but they would need to wait at least three weeks after agreeing to an injury settlement with him. Watson suffered a posterior cruciate ligament strain in the Aug. 23 preseason finale at New Orleans and is busy rehabbing what is not considered a long-term knee injury. Watson split last season between Denver’s practice squad and active roster, having four carries for 10 yards in two games.

– With Michael Burton out for the season after tearing his hamstring in an Aug. 16 joint practice against Arizona and having surgery, the Broncos’ plan is for Adam Prentice to be their fullback to start the season. The former Colorado State stalwart is on the practice squad and Denver can elevate him up to three times if he remains on the squad. However, once tight end Nate Adkins becomes healthy following recent ankle surgery, the Broncos are considering moving him into the fullback role. Adkins is out for Week 1 but is expected back later in September.

What I’m seeing

– Gary Kubiak will watch from his ranch in Plantersville, Texas, next Sunday when his sons square off, and it won’t be easy. Klay Kubiak is offensive coordinator for San Francisco, which will play at Seattle, where Klint Kubiak has the same role. “It’s tough,’’ Kubiak said. “You want to see them both do a good job and their teams be successful, but both teams can’t win.” Gary said he will “keep my mouth shut” during the week and after the game “congratulate one and console the other.” Klay is in his first season as an NFL offensive coordinator while Klint had that role with Minnesota in 2021 and New Orleans in 2024. With both their current teams being in NFC West, the two will meet up again in Week 18 in San Francisco.

– Rod Smith, the greatest wide receiver in Broncos history, signed a seven-year, $40 million contract extension in 2002, his biggest NFL payday. He compared that to receiver Courtland Sutton recently signing a four-year, $92 million extension with Denver. “When I was getting my contract, all the older guys told me, ‘Man, I played too early,’’’ Smith said. “I can easily say that, but I played exactly when I was supposed to play, and I maximized my opportunity.” But Smith did joke about Sutton, “If I try to borrow some money from him, he can’t say he doesn’t have it, he can just say he doesn’t want to give it to me.”