Bo Nix all but put Broncos' QB competition to bed in preseason opener: Opinion

The Bo Nix era has begun in Denver.

It should be clear after the Broncos’ preseason-opening win Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis

Of course, Sean Payton was not going to name a starting quarterback after this game – because he doesn't have to. And really he shouldn't. Payton is doing it right.

They'll go through this week at camp, then play the second preseason game next Sunday against the Packers at Empower Field. And then the starter will be obvious.

And, barring any serious setback or injury, it will be the man starting that game for Denver: Bo Nix.

The Broncos’ first-round pick showed it Sunday. He is ready to go, running Payton's offense efficiently to the tune of 15-of-21 passing for 125 yards and a touchdown. He led four scoring drives for Denver.

Nix was getting the ball out quickly to open receivers. He didn’t take any sacks in his debut. And he can also run when he has to, adding three carries for 17 yards.

“I felt very calm and relaxed back there,” Nix said of his first NFL game action. “It was just a game. They were still in [defensive formations like] Cover 3, quarters and man. It's the same defense, and so you just have to figure out which one they're in and then execute the play that's called.”

Of course, he's got some rough edges. Things to work on. Mistakes to fix.

But it appears he has what it takes to be Payton's quarterback of the present and the future.

Things are on track just as we expected: A close quarterback battle in training camp that was trimmed down from a three-way race to just two – Nix and Jarrett Stidham.

And Stiddy has been steady, earning the start in preseason game one.

But Bo came in and did exactly what he had to do: Run the offense. Take care of the football. Show poise and good decision making.

If he shows the same thing next Sunday against the Packers, it’s a done deal. That's when Payton will announce that Nix will be the starting quarterback on Sunday Sept. 8 in Seattle.

Payton didn’t tip his hand on Sunday, praising all three quarterbacks who took snaps against the Colts.

“I thought all three of them handled the settings well. I think that their decisions for the most part were good,” he said. “But certainly it gives us – I’m going to go past the quarterback, for all these players – you get a little bit better insight. [...] Even in wins, the same way in losses, you can find things you're doing well. We’ve got to be smart enough tomorrow when we watch the tape, to clean up and correct some of the things that we weren't doing as well with.”

AJ Mast/AP

Bo is older than most rookies. He's only a year younger than Zach Wilson. He's no fresh-faced kid coming out of college.

He played 61 big-time college games, the most ever by a college quarterback. And he is proving he's mature enough, smart enough, and has the physical tools to lead this Broncos team into the regular season.

“He's a rookie, but I think he's also like 26 (24) so he's kind of not a rookie,” Stidham said. “But he's been great every single day. [...] He knows how to go out there and make some plays. So, it was fun to watch him play today.”