Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton officially named his starting quarterback for Week 1 on Wednesday, and the choice is not a surprise.
Payton confirmed that rookie Bo Nix will get the starting nod to open the regular season. Nix beat out Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson to win the job.
Payton said Nix, the No. 12 pick in the NFL Draft, has been “outstanding” in training camp and praised him for his consistency.
Broncos HC Sean Payton on new starting QB Bo Nix: “He’s been outstanding.”
Said there’s a lot of room for growth but that the consistency and the ability to play off schedule stood out in the evaluation.
— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) August 21, 2024
Nix has appeared to have the inside track on the job for the entirety of camp. The signs were there early, when Payton praised him for progressing quickly and picking up the playbook with impressive speed. It also helps that Stidham and Wilson did not exactly make for inspiring competition, but Nix undoubtedly performed well enough to earn the job as opposed to landing it by default.
The decision means at least three first-round rookies will be starting in Week 1, with Nix joining Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels in that category.
