Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton named rookie Bo Nix as the team’s starting quarterback for the upcoming season on Wednesday.
“We’ve kind of gone through our process. In the very beginning of it all, just speaking with [General Manager] George [Paton] and [Owner & CEO] Greg [Penner] and understanding that, oftentimes, these things take care of themselves, but we’re not in a hurry to arrive at those type of decisions,” Payton told reporters after the team’s practice on Wednesday.
“We want to see it. I think it’s important relative to the team that we handle it that way.
He’s been outstanding. Obviously, there’s a ton of room for growth. There’s a lot of things that he needs to work on.”
Nix, who was selected with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Oregon, has impressed in his two preseason appearances for the Broncos so far, spurring Payton’s decision.
The 24-year-old completed 23-of-30 passes for 205 yards, two touchdowns and a 116.7 quarterback rating so far in the preseason, also avoiding throwing an interception or taking a sack.
Nix held off competition from veteran quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson for the Broncos’ starting role.
Nix following greatness
With the decision, Nix becomes the first rookie quarterback to start Week 1 for the Broncos since the franchise’s great signal-caller, two-time Super Bowl winner John Elway, did so in 1983.
“It will be a special moment,” Nix said of his first start. “Obviously, that’s great to share with such a great player like John Elway, but [I] definitely want to [go] out there and [do] whatever I can do ultimately for the team. It doesn’t matter when your first start is.
“It doesn’t matter if you have to wait or you go right now. You just want to go out there and get the first win and ultimately compete at a high level and give your team the best chance possible. That’s what my goal is at the beginning, just to give our team the best chance to go out there and win games every week.”
Nix entered the league as one of the more experienced rookie quarterbacks, having started 61 games over five seasons for Oregon.
He will begin life as an NFL starter away against the Seattle Seahawks on September 8.
Uncertainty in New England
Elsewhere, there are still question-marks over who will be the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots in Week 1.
First-year head coach Jerod Mayo has remained coy on who will lead the team between veteran Jacoby Brissett or rookie Drake Maye.
Maye, the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft, has featured sparingly in the preseason so far but has improved steadily in his two appearances.
Mayo said of Maye’s readiness as a possible starter: “100 percent I think he’s ready to run a huddle.”
However, the Patriots head coach said that he would name his starter after the team’s final preseason game on Sunday.
“I would say by Monday night we should know who the quarterback is,” he told reporters. “Sunday night game, it’s always hard to crank through the film – especially on the road. But I think Monday, Tuesday we’ll probably know who it is. Now, that doesn’t mean I’ll tell you who it is.”
