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Bo Nix opened up about his feelings towards dogs ahead of the Broncos-Chiefs game on Christmas DayKirk Herbstreit and his golden retriever Peter confronted Nix on the field before the gameThe interaction came one month after Nix and Peter went viral on social media

Bo Nix is facing his fears.

The Denver Broncos quarterback, 25, opened up about his negative feelings towards dogs when ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit tried to get him to pet his golden retriever Peter, just before the Broncos took on the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.

“We had to make it happen with @bonix10 after last time 🤣🤣 @nflonprime #peter,” Herbstreit wrote in a caption to his Instagram post, alongside a video of the quarterback and the puppy.

The reunion came over a month after Nix last saw Peter, in what turned out to be an interaction that went viral when the quarterback was called out for “ignoring” the dog.

Bo Nix and dog Peter go viral in November.

Kirk Herbstreit/Instagram

“Bo Nix was a jerk to Peter. He must not have been raised right,” wrote one commenter at the time, while another wrote, “Seriously!!!! Anti Peter?!?! What kind of monster is he???”

On Thursday, it appeared that Nix had made amends with Peter, and he explained to Herbstreit just why he was initially so standoffish.

“I just think when I was little I got attacked by one, and I didn’t know any better,” Nix told the College GameDay analyst. “My family didn’t grow up with them. My whole family’s not really a dog family. We had one when I was a kid, and then it passed away and we didn’t get a new one.”

The first time the former Oregon signal-caller met Peter, the dog jumped on him. But on Thursday, the duo had a friendlier interaction, with Nix petting Peter.

“My wife will be shocked,” the quarterback shared, as he gave the canine some attention.

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Bo Nix ahead of the Broncos-Chiefs game on Christmas Day 2025.

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty

It wasn’t the first time Nix has been associated with dogs this season. The Broncos quarterback hilariously coined the term “Overdog” earlier in the month.

Travis Kelce after the Chiefs lose 20-13 to the Broncos on Christmas Day 2025.

Jamie Squire/Getty

The Broncos were considered underdogs heading into the game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Dec. 14, but ultimately defeated them, 34-26.

“Now we’re the overdogs,” he told CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson after the game.

Since then, Nix has capitalized on the phrase-turned-meme.

The Denver quarterback announced on his Instagram Stories that he’s launched an “Overdogs” line on his apparel website that will benefit the Denver Rescue Mission, which works “to bring an end to homelessness across Metro Denver and Northern Colorado,” according to the organization’s website.

Nix and the Broncos kept their win streak alive, beating the Chiefs, 20-13. They next take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Jan. 4.