Bo Nix to be 1st Broncos rookie QB to start opener since Elway

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Rookie Bo Nix will now be in the same company as John Elway — at least in terms of how his career will open. Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton announced after practice Wednesday that Nix will be the team’s starting quarterback.

When Nix lines up behind center for the Sept. 8 regular-season opener in Seattle against the Seahawks, he will be the first Denver rookie to start the regular-season opener since Elway in 1983.

“Obviously, that’s great to share with such a great player as John Elway,” Nix said. “… You just want to go out there and get the first win, ultimately compete at a high level and give your team the best chance to win.”

Payton had a decided lack of ceremony about the decision as he simply told Nix and Jarrett Stidham right before Wednesday’s practice. Payton joked, “We didn’t have cake and candles.” Payton added he had not formally told the rest of the team, including in the post-practice huddle.

“We’re not in a hurry to arrive at those type of decisions, we want to see it,” Payton said. “… He’s been outstanding. Obviously there’s a ton of room for growth, a lot of things he needs to work on … but there is a maturity level with him.”

Nix had taken most of the snaps with the starting offense last week, including during Friday’s joint practice against the Green Bay Packers.

Nix then started Sunday’s preseason game against the Packers, finishing 8-of-9 passing for 80 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos’ 27-2 victory at Empower Field at Mile High. In two preseason appearances, Nix led the Broncos on scoring drives in six of the seven possessions he played.

The Broncos had multiple first downs in every one of Nix’s drives, largely against defensive reserves for both the Indianapolis Colts and the Packers.

Nix said Payton informed him quickly before practice of the decision he would be the starter.

“He walked up and said he was going to tell you guys this afternoon so let’s have a good practice,” Nix said with a smile. “… We all attacked every day like we were the starter … so if you go with that mindset, when they tell you, it shouldn’t change much because you’ve been practicing that way and that’s your daily habit.

“… [Stidham and Zach Wilson] have pushed me extremely hard. I’ve learned a lot from those two and wouldn’t be here without them pushing me along. … I’m really thankful for that.”

Nix, Stidham and Wilson split the work evenly with the starting offense in the offseason program and the first week of training camp. Since the start of the second week of training camp, however, only Nix and Stidham have worked with the starters, until Nix got most of the first-team snaps last week.

Nix — who was the No. 12 pick in April’s draft and the sixth quarterback taken in the first round — is the Broncos’ highest-drafted quarterback since they selected Jay Cutler 11th overall in the 2006 draft. Nix is also now the first rookie quarterback to open a season for Payton, who enters his 18th season as an NFL head coach.

The Broncos have missed the playoffs eight seasons in a row dating to their Super Bowl 50 win, which concluded the 2015 season. Last season, they finished 8-9 in Payton’s first year with the team. Nix will be the 13th different quarterback — and the 14th player overall — to open a game behind center for Denver since that Super Bowl win.

Payton benched the last potential long-term solution at the position in December 2023, when he sat Russell Wilson down for the last two weeks of the season. The Broncos released Wilson in March, and general manager George Paton said Nix was one of six quarterbacks the Broncos had first-round grades on in April’s draft.

Payton has consistently lauded Nix’s maturity, decision-making, accuracy and composure. Nix played in 61 games in five college seasons at Auburn and Oregon combined.

Nix will become the second rookie quarterback to make a start with Payton as head coach, joining Ian Book, who made a start for Payton’s New Orleans Saints in 2021, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Before the Broncos opened their offseason program in April, Nix had done all he could do to be prepared to compete for the starting job. Beyond his other prep before the draft, Nix had enlisted the help of Philip Rivers in his transition to the NFL.