NFL insider updates timeline for Broncos to name starting QB

The Denver Broncos entered training camp in the middle of a quarterback competition involving rookie Bo Nix, journeyman Jarrett Stidham and former New York Jets flop Zach Wilson.

It sounds like head coach Sean Payton isn't close to naming a starter as of the first day of August.

"The quarterback competition could last a while longer—I would guess at this point that Sean Payton will want to see the guys play in at least one and maybe two preseason games before making a final call," NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote for a piece published Thursday. "That said, Payton did narrow things a bit over the last day or two, with the lion’s share of the first-team reps in at Wednesday’s practice going to Jarrett Stidham, the incumbent in this race, and first-rounder Bo Nix."

ESPN's Dan Graziano predicted earlier this week that Nix, the No. 12 overall pick of this year's draft, will ultimately emerge as the Broncos' QB1 for their Week 1 game at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8. It's also been made clear that Wilson is Denver's third-choice option at the position heading into the club's preseason opener at the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 11.

"It’s been communicated to Zach Wilson that he’s not out of it yet, and the team does have over a week left before going to Indy for the preseason opener," Breer continued. "Nix, for his part, has picked up the offense fast. His football aptitude, work ethic and leadership as a guy who started 60 college games has been apparent to his coaches and the team’s veterans alike."

After the Colts matchup, the Broncos will face the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 18 before they wrap the preseason up with a home game against the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 25. Thus, Payton theoretically could wait until the last Monday of the month to announce the competition's winner.

As of late Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Nix as the betting favorite at -200 odds over Stidham (+190) and Wilson (+850) to start at Seattle's Lumen Field next month. Stidham could close the gap by impressing against the Colts, while Wilson seemingly would have to become a revelation over the next couple of weeks to have any shot of getting the nod for the Seahawks game.