The Denver Broncos came into training camp with one of the most interesting quarterback battles of the summer. Rookie Bo Nix has been impressive so far, including Sunday's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. He finished 8-9 with 80 yards and a touchdown pass. In his two preseason games, he has played six series and scored six times. Payton says that despite the excellent play, no starting quarterback is coming this week for the Broncos.
“Listen, he's played well,” Payton said to NFL.com's Grant Gordon. “I'm not announcing any starting quarterback tonight. I'll let you guys know when the time comes, but I thought he played well. You feel his comfort level as he continues to get used to the calls coming in. You've got to feel the poise when he's playing.”
Nix is competing against Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson for the starting role. The Broncos have missed the playoffs in eight years and have not had a star quarterback since Peyton Manning's career ended. With Nix in the fold, they are hoping that they have the starter for a generation.
If Nix is the starter and is the player the Broncos hope he can be, the playoffs should be in their sights. Although it is a very deep AFC, the Broncos think they can compete with the Chargers, Jets, Bengals, and Dolphins for one of the three Wild Card spots. What is a realistic outlook for the Broncos this season?
Expectations for Broncos and Bo Nix in 2024
The Broncos have one of the lowest win total over/under numbers in the NFL at 5.5, according to Fanduel. The Russell Wilson experiment was a disaster, winning just 13 games over two seasons. Now that Nix is in the building, the Broncos are looking to move forward and blow their win total out of the water.
The Broncos should make Bo Nix their starting quarterback because he is a very developed product. He played five years in college, three at Auburn and two at Oregon, as the starting quarterback. Nix played 61 college games and ranks sixth all-time in NCAA passing yards.
When the Broncos took Nix in the first round, they knew that they had a pro-ready quarterback in their building. He may not have the ceiling that Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels have, but he can make a difference this season. The Broncos are desperately looking to get back to the playoffs and Nix can do that.
They traded Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns this off-season, ending a years-long drama between player and team. While losing a star wide receiver would normally be bad news for a quarterback, the end of the Jeudy saga is good for Nix. He still has Cortand Sutton and Greg Dulcich to pass the ball to and has one of the great offensive minds in the game as his coach.
The Broncos are looking to return to the playoffs with rookie quarterback Bo Nix likely at the helm. Even though their odds are long, they can pull off a surprising season because of how pro-ready Nix is, which Sean Payton has been enjoying this preseason.
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