Bo Nix is ready to compete for the starting quarterback job when training camp rolls around in July. However, he should be the guy from Day 1 for Sean Payton and get every rep possible.
Bo Nix should be Denver Broncos Day 1 starter
After the Broncos drafted Bo Nix in the first round of the NFL Draft, Sean Payton met with us and told us that all of these guys were going to compete. Sure that will be the reality, but Nix should be the starter when the team kicks off their season opener in September.
“These guys are all going to compete,” Payton said. “We were really happy to bring [QB] Zach [Wilson] on board. There was no specific timing, that just took a little bit of time. In other words, George and Joe with the Jets have been working on that. So it wasn’t a smoke screen. I know when we signed him it was closer to the draft. It very well could have been three weeks ago. We know we wanted to add into the room, and I think I said that much even at the owner’s meetings. We really liked that opportunity. There were a number of veteran backups that signed contracts, and yet we saw talent with a player that just three years ago was the No. 2 pick in the draft. We really like his traits. Of course we have [QB] Jarrett Stidham here and [QB] Ben [DiNucci]. So [Pro Football Hall of Fame Head Coach] Bill [Parcells] taught me a long time ago [to] just let them play. We have to maximize the reps that we have, and let them develop, and that stuff will sort itself out.”
Let them play, the three other quarterbacks that is. Payton and the Broncos have positioned themselves to build around the young rookie quarterback.
Denver has a variety of different receiving options, including Nix’s college teammate Troy Franklin who caught 23 touchdowns from him in two seasons. On top of that Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and speedster Marvin Mims are the headliners of the receiving room.
Greg Dulcich is fully healthy as it stands today, and the team hopes he can stay healthy throughout training camp and the regular season, and if he does, he can be a producer for them too.
The Broncos’ offensive line is set for the most part, with a center competition coming up between Alex Forsyth, Luke Wattenberg, and Sam Mustipher. Most feel that Forsyth, Nix’s former college center, is the early favorite to be the starter.
So why wait when it comes to Nix, who has played in over 61 career college games? He’s experienced and has already shown Payton that he can handle processing install material.
If there’s any competition, it should be for who will back up Nix this season. That competition should feature Ben DiNucci, Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson.
When it comes to Nix starting or sitting, a lot of folks have made reference to Patrick Mahomes sitting behind Alex Smith for a season before taking over.
The issue with that is that the Broncos don’t have an Alex Smith on the roster at the position. For Denver specifically, the last time they drafted a quarterback this high in the first round, Jake Plummer was the starting quarterback and Cutler eventually took over for him.
There is no Jake Plummer currently on this roster for Nix.
For the Broncos rookie to establish himself in the NFL, he needs to play and he also needs to be able to have room to make mistakes.
“He’s got real quick hands, he’s very accurate underneath.” – @movethesticks
The @Broncos got a playmaker in QB @BoNix10 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Rd0kEWhDmI
— NFL (@NFL) May 2, 2024
With the supporting cast around him currently, he’s best suited to play right away as Payton and George Paton will look to continue to build this team around him going into next offseason. Maximize his reps and opportunities and let him go through the ups and downs of being a starting quarterback for an entire season.
Bo Nix’s level of maturity and prior college experience should help him adjust to the NFL learning curve relatively quickly. The idea of a competition should be thrown out there, but in reality, there shouldn’t be one as it pertains to Nix being the team’s top draft choice.
