Bo Nix looks to be on course to earn himself the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback job - but his emergence has coincided with head coach Sean Payton noticing a big change in Zach Wilson.
Wilson was handed a fresh start in his NFL career by the Broncos after a miserable time with the New York Jets. The No.2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft struggled badly as he replaced Aaron Rodgers last season, ending his time in the Big Apple.
He was acquired by the Broncos in April, joining Jarrett Stidham in the quarterback room after the departure of Russell Wilson. However, Bo Nix was later picked 12th overall in the first round of the most recent NFL Draft.
All three quarterbacks have been battling to earn the starting role in preseason , but Nix in particular has caught the eye. He went 8-9 for 80 yards and a touchdown in a 27-2 win over the Green Bay Packers in pre-season on Sunday night.
In the same game, Wilson badly struggled, completing only two passes and taking a sack in the end zone for a safety as problems noticeable in New York resurfaced.
The previous week, Nix threw for 125 yards and a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts, while Wilson also played well, throwing for 117 yards. While most onlookers believe Nix is increasingly destined to become the starter based on his first two NFL performances, Broncos head coach Payton also has a lot of belief in Wilson based on what he's seen from him over the same two weeks.
"This frickin' Zach Wilson now, the last week and a half," Payton said. "I grabbed him and I said, 'look, I just want you to focus on having fun and playing.
"My job is to make you millions either with us for another team. His last two weeks have been outstanding."
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Despite the clamor for Nix, Payton refused to name the rookie as his starter after the second Broncos preseason game. He said: "Well, listen, he's played well. "I'm not announcing any starting quarterback tonight.
"I'll let you guys know when the time comes. But I thought he played well. He had one penalty, which was, man, right on the line. It was tough.
" It was a pretty heads-up play. He did a good job at the line of scrimmage with some checks. You feel his comfort level as he continues to get used to the calls coming in. You kind of feel the poise when he's playing, and the other two [quarterbacks are] the same way.
"Look, I said this last week, I like the room. Their job is to lead their offense down the field and score points, and they all had touchdown drives. I thought he was sharp.
"Obviously, I think he was 8-for-9, and he does a good job of distributing the football, understanding the zone [and] man-to-man coverage concepts we're getting. Overall, I was pleased."
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