Denver Broncos rookie signal caller Bo Nix was the second quarterback on the field as they opened the preseason against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Sean Payton opted to go with Jarrett Stidham as QB1 with fellow veteran Zach Wilson as the third stringer in the exhibition opener.
This was the way the Broncos’ depth chart was seemingly playing out during training camp. Acquired from the New York Jets in a trade this past spring, Wilson struggled during the summer session. It has raised questions about whether the former NFL Draft bust will even make the Broncos 53-man roster heading into Week 1 of the regular season against the Seattle Seahawks.
As for Sunday’s 34-30 win over the Colts, there was a lot of good to look at when it comes to Denver’s quarterback situation. Primarily, none of the three signal callers who took to the field were sacked. That’s a major positive.
Stidham, Nix and Wilson also combined to complete 29-of-41 passes for 279 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
However, it was Nix who stole the show after coming in for Stidham. The rookie No. 12 pick completed a resounding 15-of-21 passes for 125 yards, including a one yard touchdown strike to Marvin Mims.
Nix did not necessarily throw down field a lot in his preseason debut. It was more about learning the nuances of Denver’s offense in live-game action. He had control of the huddle, understood what reads made the most sense and made quick decisions in the offensive backfield.
With a total of 61 college games under his belt, it’s not a surprise that Nix looked pretty refined. It was one of the things that drew the former Oregon star to Sean Payton and Denver during the pre-draft process.
Payton opened up about Nix’s performance after Sunday’s win. He praised Nix and the other two who took snaps under center. “All three of them did a good job,” Payton said.
He added a bit more in speaking to the media on Sunday.
“[The] ball is out,” Payton said, via the Denver Broncos’ official website. “I like the timing, the tempo of when we’re releasing it. That was a big issue for us a year ago with the minus plays. We were towards the back, back half of the league – I think fourth [lowest]. So, I was pleased with the timing of what we were doing throwing the ball. It’s important.”
That could very well be a shot at former Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. But we digress.
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Payton said that the goal was to get Nix some run with the first team on Sunday. He obviously didn’t expect the youngster to have the success he did. Nix ultimately led Denver on four scoring drives before Wilson took over.
Stidham threw an interception to conclude his action for the day. Meanwhile, Wilson, completed 10-of-13 passes for 113 yards without a touchdown or an interception. His outing came against pretty much third and fourth-string Colts defenders.
“I think he handled it very well,” top Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton said of Bo Nix. “[He] had a lot of poise, a lot of control. The moment wasn’t too big for him. The moments are only going to get bigger. The preseason games don’t count, but come Week 1, whoever they decide to put out there as our starter, they’re going to have to handle that situation the best they possibly can.”
Payton has been clear about wanting to compete this season. Does a rookie quarterback give him the best chance to do just that? It’s an open question.
Denver also has two more preseason games before it has to make a decision heading into Week 1. But for now, Nix might be the leader in the clubhouse for the QB1 job in Mile High.
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