Broncos' Sean Payton discusses when Bo Nix will start

It was suggested recently that Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton could wait until at least after the club's second preseason game to name his Week 1 starting quarterback.

Most assume Payton wants rookie Bo Nix to emerge as the winner of the summer competition involving journeyman Jarrett Stidham and former New York Jets flop Zach Wilson, but the coach sounds ready to sit the first-year pro depending on what occurs in exhibition matchups.

"It still has to be what’s best for this team to start the season," Payton said during a recent chat with NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated about playing Nix against live opponents in meaningful games. "Now the good news is he’s coming in and really opened it up. You talk to defensive coaches or anybody that’s been at these practices like, 'Holy cow, this guy can get the ball down the field.' This guy’s got really good arm talent. It’s just getting acclimated to the calls. [And to complement that], there’s so much he can do off-schedule."

While Wilson seemingly will enter this coming Sunday's preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts as Denver's third-choice option, Nix and Stidham should receive opportunities to impress at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Broncos then host the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 18 for a contest that could determine which quarterback starts Denver's regular-season opener at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8.

"We’re not there yet with the quarterback relative to who’s going to be the starter," Payton insisted. "Trust in the process and letting it speak to you is important."

Shortly after the Broncos made Nix the 12th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, it was reported that Payton would've selected the Oregon Ducks signal-caller over Michael Penix Jr., Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy. Breer revealed on Monday that "Payton told me that he had Nix and one other quarterback as the two in the top tier of the NFL Draft."

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Nix as the betting favorite at -200 odds to start over Stidham (+190) and Wilson (+850) against Seattle. With that said, it appears Stidham could close any existing gap in the competition by being Denver's best quarterback at Indianapolis this weekend.