Sean Payton found Bo Nix on the practice field Wednesday morning and delivered the news that’s been coming for days, weeks, maybe months.
You’re the guy.
Nix, the No. 12 pick in April’s draft, has been named Denver’s starting quarterback and will make his regular-season debut Sept. 8 at Seattle. Payton informed Nix and fellow quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson of the decision Wednesday morning before telling reporters after practice.
He went around to each of the three during pre-practice stretching and told them that Nix had won the job.
The way Payton and Nix tell it, their exchange was more business-like than ebullient.
“He smiled and he was good. We’re getting ready to practice and that was it,” Payton said. “We didn’t have cake and candles.”
Nix, speaking to reporters about a half hour after practice ended Wednesday, said he didn’t struggle to focus on practice after hearing the news, hadn’t rushed to tell anybody, and his family assuredly already knew based on the timing of Payton’s news conference.
“We’ll talk about it later, I’m sure, and they’ll be excited, but they’ll all tell me the same thing: It doesn’t really change anything. You’ve got to get back to work,” Nix said. “Because now the expectations and the standards are even higher. Get back to doing the main thing and keep that the main thing.”
Nix is the new main thing in Broncos Country. He’s set to become Denver’s first rookie quarterback to start opening weekend since John Elway in 1983. Though Elway would go on to all-time heights and a pair of Super Bowl trophies, Nix shouldn’t have to worry much about matching Elway’s debut performance. The Duke completed 1 of 8 passes for 14 yards and an interception, was sacked four times and then benched against Pittsburgh on Sept. 4, 1983.
Nix will surely face his share of ups and downs, but Payton’s been confident in his maturity and poise since the draft, and players in the locker room have seen it on display throughout the offseason program, training camp and the preseason.
“Certainly you see a guy that’s not afraid to compete,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said recently. “I think that’s the biggest factor for him as he’s come into this camp. You could put yourself behind by playing hesitant. It’s a mistake that probably every player makes at some point in his career and especially as a young guy. We haven’t seen any of that from Bo, and that’s been a really, really cool thing to watch. Certainly, he’s going to keep building on that confidence too.
“I said it the other day, he has a very unique combination of humility and confidence that goes a long way for his position and, certainly, as a rookie stepping in here with a lot of pressure on himself. He’s taken that in stride and there’s no fear of competition and there’s no fear of getting out there and going for it.”
Payton staged a so-called quarterback battle between Nix; Stidham, the journeyman veteran; and Wilson, the reclamation project.
More than an actual horse race, though, the true competition this summer was Nix against the clock. Put simply: Could a rookie, even a 24-year-old with 61 collegiate starts under his belt, nail down Payton’s offense well enough and show enough on the field to get the nod?
The answer: a fairly clear yes.
“He’s been consistent,” Payton said. “It’s not really a reflection on Jarrett or even Zach. It’s some of the things he’s been able to do pretty quickly. His arm strength down the field. All the things when we evaluated him, you kind of trust your instincts.”
Nix was the final of a record-tying six first-round quarterbacks drafted this spring. Three have been named starters as of Wednesday: Chicago’s Caleb Williams (No. 1 overall), Washington’s Jayden Daniels (No. 2) and now Nix. New England’s Drake Maye (No. 3) could still win the job, while Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr. (No. 8) is expected to back up Kirk Cousins, and Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy (No. 10) is out for the season after injuring his knee last week.
Very few quarterbacks are truly ready to start in the NFL when they first get that assignment, but Nix, by all accounts, learned fast and acquitted himself well during training camp.
A pair of preseason performances at Indianapolis and at home against Green Bay only solidified Nix’s position.
Nix played seven preseason series and went 23 of 30 for 205 yards, two touchdowns, no sacks and no turnovers. He rushed for 29 yards on six attempts. Just as important: Of his seven drives, six generated multiple first downs and points. At that point, if not before, it became clear: Nix was going to be named the starter .
“I don’t think I would have allowed it to drag into the regular season,” Payton said. “I just didn’t want to hurry it. Teams handle these things differently. There’s just certain things I believe in. We kind of set out a plan. I’m pleased with how he’s playing, and it’s much easier to make a decision like that or much more difficult if he hadn’t been.
“We got a chance to see it and that’s most important for the locker room.”
Readiness has been Nix’s calling card essentially since middle school. He took over the starting job on varsity midway through his eighth-grade season and didn’t give it up. He started as a true freshman at Auburn in 2019 and spent three seasons there before transferring to Oregon and starting two more standout years.
Now he’s the guy from the start once again, at the game’s highest level.
“To see him come in and handle what he’s handled so far, it’s been really fun to see him do his thing. I’m excited for him,” wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. “He’s handling this early couple of games of preseason success really well, but he’s not letting it go to his head. He’s taking it in stride, like ‘What else can I get better at? What else can we get better at? We like this route, we like this, but let’s try and do it like this next time and we might be able to get more yards and take it to another level.’
“To have a young guy like that, to be that hungry and not complacent, is really encouraging.”
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