Bo Nix

Bo Nix is firmily in the mix to become the Denver Broncos starting quarterback in 2024.

During a Sunday appearance on SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the 2024 first-round pick will continue to get time with the first-string offense and that the team has privately been impressed by his efforts in camp.

"We'll get a significant run with Bo Nix and the starters," Fowler said ahead of the Broncos' preseason game on Sunday. "Honestly, he's been getting that. He was a first-team runner in the joint practice with the Packers. He got some time with the top receivers last week in the preseason game, acquitted himself well. He's got some momentum here. Privately, the Broncos are not hiding away from the fact that he's been impressive. His ability to process at the line of scrimmage, move the ball downfield. They really like it."

Nix was the No. 12 pick in the 2024 Draft and was the sixth quarterback off of the board. He is competing with Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson for the starting role and has the highest upside of any of the contenders.

He had a prolific collegiate career, accumulating 15,351 passing yards across his five seasons. His final year at Oregon was a masterpiece as he threw for 4,508 yards with 45 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He led the Ducks to a 10-2 record and a victory in the Fiesta Bowl.

The 24-year-old hopes to translate that into success at the NFL level and provide stability to a franchise that has cycled through 13 quarterbacks since Peyton Manning retired following the 2015 season.

Nix will look to solidify his spot atop the depth chart on Sunday when the Broncos take on the Green Bay Packers at 8 p.m. ET.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix will get his first preseason start on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, head coach Sean Payton said Friday.

Quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson will each get playing time after Nix on Sunday, Payton added.

Stidham started the Broncos' preseason opener over the Indianapolis Colts last weekend, going 4-of-7 for 37 yards and an interception.

Nix impressed in relief with 15-of-21 passing for 125 yards and a touchdown against the Colts, and could gain an edge in the race for QB1 with a strong performance on Sunday.

"We're going to see Bo starting out in Phase 1, Stiddy in Phase 2, and then Zach in Phase 3," Payton told reporters Friday.

Payton said earlier this week on the Up & Adams Show that he would not name a starting quarterback until he could confirm the starters for all positions.

"The band's still playing, they have one more song to go, two more songs," Payton said. "In other words, I'm not naming the starting cornerback between Riley (Moss) and (Damarri) Mathis. Meaning, I'm not doing that at these other positions."

But the head coach confirmed that the second preseason game would be "important," and that the team was "close" to making a decision on starters.

Payton previously told reporters that Nix would get most reps with the Broncos' first-team offense during the week heading into the Packers game, setting the rookie up for his first preseason start.

Nix, the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NFL draft out of Oregon, was initially expected to compete with both Stidham and Wilson for the starting job. He was listed third behind both of the team's more experienced NFL quarterbacks on the Broncos' first unofficial depth chart published prior to training camp.

After Nix led the Broncos offense to score on four of five possessions in his preseason debut, however, it looks like the 2024 first-round pick could be set to climb the depth chart.

Whether he is committing to Nix or turning to last season's backup in Stidham, Payton will need to make a decision prior to the Broncos' Sept. 8 regular season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.

Signs are pointing toward rookie Bo Nix being the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback over Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, but head coach Sean Payton hasn't named his QB1 just yet.

When Kay Adams of FanDuel TV's Up & Adams asked Payton why he hasn't handed Nix the "keys" just yet, he responded as follows:

"The band's still playing, they have one more song to go, two more songs. This next game will be important," Payton said.

"I think it's important to the team that they see...in other words, I'm not naming the starting cornerback between [Riley Moss] or [Damarri Mathis], meaning, I'm not doing that with these other positions at receiver, and so, it would be different if you had made a decision with one position, and I'm not ready to do it with all positions."

Payton's remarks came a couple days after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on NFL Live that the starting gig was Nix's job to lose.

Denver selected Nix, the former Oregon star, with the No. 12 overall choice in this year's NFL draft. He completed 77.4 percent of his passes for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns and just three interceptions while adding 234 yards and six more scores on the ground.

Nix is obviously the Broncos' quarterback of the future, but it seems like he's the one of the present as well, even if Payton hasn't made that official.

"Look he's playing well," Payton added. "Now they're a few things in the game that we've got to clean up, but I'm encouraged with the way he's playing. Just as I am with [Stidham] and [Wilson], but there's a process to it...

"We're getting close. If you come back in the next week or two, it might time up."

Nix looked great in the Broncos' 34-30 preseason win over the Indianapolis Colts, completing 15-of-21 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown. Wilson also excelled by completing 10-of-13 passes for 117 yards. Stidham, who ended last year as the Broncos' starter and fared well, struggled a bit (4-of-7, 37 yards, one interception).

Denver has preseason home games against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday before the Arizona Cardinals roll into town on Aug. 25. Week 1 sees Denver visit the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8.

How's that for a first impression.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix got off to an excellent start in his preseason debut, finishing 15-of-21 for 125 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

In total, he led Denver to four scores (two touchdowns, two interceptions) in five drives and didn't take a sack after Jarrett Stidham finished 4-of-7 for 37 yards and an interception.

Stidham only played two series, a limited sample size, but Nix certainly looked far sharper than his counterpart, and fans and pundits were liking what they saw:

Zach Wilson replaced Nix in the third quarter.

With Wilson mostly receiving reps with the third-team offense, the quarterback competition seems to be down to Stidham and Nix. The latter will be favored to eventually take over the starting gig after the Broncos selected him No. 12 overall at this year's NFL draft.

Based on what Sean Payton wants to see out of his quarterbacks during the preseason, Nix may have taken a step closer to winning the starting gig on Sunday.

"I want them to play," he told reporters regarding his quarterbacks. "Play fast. There are going to be mistakes, and we'll correct them. Now there's a time in a game where we have to be aggressive. ... These guys are playing through their progressions, and they're doing a good job with their reads. When you get into real games, you get a better feel for the pass rush and all the things that come with playing that position."

Nix certainly seemed to have a strong grasp on all of the above, at least for one afternoon.

Bo Nix is putting the NFL on notice.

The 2024 first-round pick made his preseason debut on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts and unleashed a strong throw on the run for a first down during the first quarter.

The play came on third-and-ten and it was his first completed pass of the contest.

The Broncos hope Nix can be the guy to stabilize the quarterback position. The Broncos have had 13 different starting quarterbacks since Peyton Manning retired following the 2016 season, but Nix is the one that Denver drafted the highest.

The Broncos took Nix with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 Draft. He was the sixth quarterback of of the board, but he also brought significant experience from his collegiate years.

Nix played five seasons in college, throwing for 15,351 passing yards and 113 touchdowns during his career. His 2023 season at Oregon was his best as he threw for 4,508 yards with 45 touchdowns and just three interceptions while leading the Ducks to a 12-2 record.

The 24-year-old will now try to translate that experience into success at the professional level and his flashy preseason play shows that he is on the right track.

Jarrett Stidham will start at quarterback for the Denver Broncos during the team's first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton announced that Stidham would receive the first-string job against the Colts and rookie Bo Nix will earn a start during Denver's second preseason contest.

Nix, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, should also receive some playing time after Stidham exits against Indianapolis.

The Broncos' Week 1 starter is up in the air, as Nix has been competing with Stidham and Zach Wilson for the job. Denver's first unofficial depth chart was released by the team on Tuesday, with Stidham starting and Nix at No. 3 behind Wilson.

Still, the depth chart is hardly set in stone and can change if Nix wraps up a strong preseason performance. The former Oregon standout has already impressed his teammates in training camp.

"He's doing great," tight end Adam Trautman said about Nix, per USA Today's Jon Heath. "People talk about all the games he started in college. I think that truly means something. You see it in the way he commands a huddle and the way he steps up into the pocket where he can find his voids."

While the 24-year-old is behind Wilson on the depth chart, he alternated first-team reps with Stidham throughout the first week of training camp. ESPN's Jeff Legwold reported on July 26 that "many in the league" believe that Payton has been positioning to start Nix to begin the regular season since he was drafted.

After starting two regular-season games for the Broncos in 2023, Stidham will earn the first start of preseason in 2024. However, Nix could still end up securing the first-string role by looking comfortable under center when he opens the team's second preseason contest.

Going into the preseason opener on Sunday, Jarrett Stidham appears to have a leg up on Bo Nix to be the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback at this point in training camp.

The Broncos' first unofficial depth chart released on Tuesday has Stidham in the starting spot, with Zach Wilson second and Nix third.

It should be emphasized this is an unofficial depth chart and doesn't necessarily mean anything about where the quarterback battle stands right now.

Nix has practiced only with the first team in the Broncos' last two practices on Saturday and Monday.

Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Gazette noted Stidham is expected to receive first-team reps on Tuesday.

Even though Wilson is listed second on the depth chart, head coach Sean Payton's practice rotation would seem to indicate he is running third in the competition. Stidham and Nix alternated first-team reps in the first week of camp.

Payton did downplay the idea that anything should be read into that following the Broncos' practice on July 30.

"No news to announce there," Payton told reporters. "I know you're looking for it."

Mike Klis of 9News said Friday (h/t Sean Savage of the New York Post) that Nix has" "done better on the field, performance-wise" than Stidham and Wilson since camp started.

Klis also noted Payton had Nix as the only quarterback participating in move-the-ball drills and walkthroughs, which could be an indication he's in line to win the starting job.

It wouldn't be a surprise if Payton gives Stidham the start for Sunday's preseason game to see how he works with the starters. He could also save Nix for the second preseason contest on Aug. 18 since that might be the game when the starters play their most snaps.

Everything with the quarterback competition could be fluid right now. Nix will eventually take over as QB1 on the depth chart by virtue of being the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Payton may not give Nix the keys to the offense right away, but it would be a surprise if he doesn't start most of the games during the regular season.

The Broncos will kickoff their preseason schedule on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.