ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Bo Nix and Sean Payton downplayed their most recent sideline exchange as each presented his version of events.
The Denver Broncos quarterback maintained that what appeared to be a heated conversation Sunday at Indianapolis wasn't so much volatile as volume-related. His coach said it was simply a matter trying to get an explanation following a play.
“For whatever reason, we’re allowing conversations to become bigger than what they are,” Nix said Wednesday, three days after the moment between him and Payton went viral as the Broncos lost 29-28 to the Colts on a field goal as time expired.
Nix added the moment had more to do with not being able to hear over the noise.
“We oftentimes forget that it’s a big stadium and a lot of people are talking at same time," said Nix, the 12th overall pick out of Oregon in the 2024 NFL draft. “So you've got to be a little bit louder and more vocal.”
The kerfuffle happened late in the third quarter as Nix came off the field following an incomplete pass to Evan Engram to force a punt. Payton appeared to ask Nix something as his QB walked past him toward the bench. Payton then took a few steps in the direction of Nix, who turned around and uttered something to his coach while gesturing with his hands. Nix then walked away.
“That was just something as simple as he asked me what happened on a play,” Nix said. “I told him, I turned, he couldn’t quite hear, turned back and told him again. There were no issues. It’s just a quick conversation with the head coach. Nothing pressing.”
Payton minimized the situation, too.
“I saw what you guys saw. That wasn’t what it appeared, though,” Payton said. “It was an affirmation of, ‘This is what we’re wanting to do.’ ... I think it was more about excitement, but I saw it.
“I guess what I’m saying is I don’t think it was what it appeared. In fact, I know it wasn’t.”
Nix and Payton had a confrontation last October after the QB went off-script against the Los Vegas Raiders.
Payton was hot and Nix hollered back. After that particular dust-up, Payton said of his then rookie QB: “There is still a little bit of Ferris Bueller in him we are trying to get rid of. I love him to death. And sometimes (what you saw) is my love language.”
One thing Nix won't be toning down is his aggressive nature on the football field. He had two interceptions and a fumble in a season-opening win over Tennessee. He threw three TD passes against the Colts but also a costly interception in the fourth quarter with the team in field-goal range.
“For me, I’m always going to be aggressive, especially with our defense, knowing that they can go out there and get a stop,” Nix said. “You can’t play the game, you can’t play the position, soft. You have to go out there and be aggressive.
"If you’re scared to make a bad play, it’s usually when the bad plays happen.”
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) runs against Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin (44) during the second half an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) looks to throw against Indianapolis Colts defensive end Tyquan Lewis (94) during the first half an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks with quarterback Bo Nix during the first half an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department said Wednesday it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, whose nationals the Trump administration has deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States.
The State Department, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said it had instructed consular officers to halt immigrant visa applications from the countries affected in accordance with a broader order issued in November that tightened rules around potential immigrants who might become “public charges” in the U.S.
The step builds on earlier immigration and travel bans by the administration on nearly 40 countries and is part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to tighten U.S. entry standards for foreigners.
“The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,” the department said in a statement. “Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”
The suspension, which will begin Jan. 21, will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, or temporary tourist or business visas, who make up the vast majority of visa seekers. Demand for non-immigrant visas is expected to rise dramatically in the coming months and years due to the upcoming 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics both of which the U.S. will host or co-host.
A separate notice sent to all U.S. embassies and consulates said that non-immigrant visa applicants should be screened for the possibility that they might seek public benefits in the United States.
“With the uncovering of massive public benefits fraud across the United States, the Trump administration is laser-focused on eliminating and preventing fraud in public benefits programs,” said the cable that referred specifically to most non-immigrant visa applications and was sent on Monday.
The cable, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, urged consular officers to ensure that foreigners wanting to travel to the U.S. “have been fully vetted and screened” for whether they may rely on public services before they are issued a visa.
The cable noted several times that it is up to the applicant to prove that they would not apply for public benefits while in the U.S. and said consular officers who suspect the applicant might apply should require them to fill out a form proving their financial bona fides.
President Donald Trump's administration has already severely restricted immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing for citizens of dozens of countries, many of them in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The November guidance on which Wednesday's decision is based directed U.S. Embassy and consulate officials to comprehensively and thoroughly vet visa applicants to demonstrate that they will not need to rely on public benefits from the government any time after their admission in the U.S.
While federal law already required those seeking permanent residency or legal status to prove they wouldn’t be a public charge, Trump in his first term widened the range of benefit programs that could disqualify applicants, and the guidelines in the cable appear to go further in scope.
Immigrants seeking entry into the U.S. already undergo a medical exam by a physician who’s been approved by a U.S. Embassy. They are screened for communicable diseases, like tuberculosis, and asked to disclose any history of drug or alcohol use, mental health conditions or violence. They’re also required to have a number of vaccinations.
The new directive expanded those with more specific requirements. It said consular officials must consider a range of specific details about people seeking visas, including their age, health, family status, finances, education, skills and any past use of public assistance regardless of the country. It also said they should assess applicants’ English proficiency and can do so by conducting interviews in English.
Experts said at the time it could further limit who gets to enter the country at a time when the Republican administration is already tightening those rules.
The countries affected by the suspension announced on Wednesday are:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
Workers fly the Cuban flag at half-mast at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune near the U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in memory of Cubans who died two days before in Caracas, Venezuela during the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Cubans line up for appointments at the U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio makes a statement to reporters while meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
