Bo Nix has joined John Elway in rarified air for Broncos

Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has been named the starter for the Denver Broncos.

It may not have been a huge surprise that the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft beat out the likes of Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham, but this is still notable news for the Broncos nonetheless — if only because of the historical implications.

The last time the Broncos started a rookie quarterback in the regular season opener was in 1983. The player was none other than John Elway, who went on to become an NFL MVP while leading the Broncos to two Super Bowl championships.

Nix will likely never reach the levels that Elway did as an NFL quarterback, but his career has started off on a strong note this preseason.

He out-competed Stidham and Wilson in practice, so much so that he had taken most of the first team offensive snaps last week and he went on to start Denver's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.

In that contest, a 27-2 victory for the Broncos, Nix completed 8-of-9 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown.

Again, Nix may never be Elway, but he's done more than enough to earn the trust of head coach Sean Payton.

Nix threw for 8,101 yards and 74 touchdowns compared to just 10 interceptions in 2022 and 2023 combined for the Oregon Ducks. He started his career at Auburn, where he threw for over 8,000 yards with 39 touchdowns (16 interceptions) in three seasons.