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It's tough for any rookie quarterback to start immediately, and Denver Broncos rookie Bo Nix is no exception. After a strong preseason, Nix was named Denver's starting quarterback. But with the Broncos opening the season on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, Nix could be in for a rude awakening. Seattle fans, affectionately known as the 12s, are known to bring the noise. A raucous crowd could affect his performance, with Nix getting his first NFL start. But in the eyes of head coach Sean Payton, it's just another test for Nix and one he expects the rookie quarterback to pass.
Payton compared the noise Seattle fans bring to the pressure Nix faced in college. In his career, Nix played for Auburn and Oregon and faced many hostile fans from Alabama to LSU to Georgia to Washington. He also dealt with the loud and passionate Auburn and Oregon fans. So, to Payton, what the 12s will throw at the Broncos rookie should be another game.
Thanks to that collegiate experience, it should be easier for Nix to lock in and lead the Broncos this season. They'll need it since Denver wants to bounce back from a disastrous 2023 campaign. More than anything, the Broncos want to make it back to the playoffs. Their eight-year drought is the second-longest in the NFL. So, Nix will have his work cut out for him.
Can Bo Nix help the Broncos bounce back?
This will be the first time since John Elway in 1983 that a rookie quarterback has started Week 1 for the Broncos. Tempering expectations is ordinary, but when Payton was asked what his expectations were of this team, he gave some ideas about what the floor should be for this team week in and week out.
“I’m never one to make predictions at the start of the season,” Payton said. “I think it’s about playing well early. I talked about that. What does that mean? We can’t get off to the start we did a year ago and dig ourselves in a hole. I think that’s important. I think the leadership is ever evolving because there have been a number of former leaders and former captains that were here that aren’t. So it’s a process.”
You need a special group of players to overcome a start like Denver had last year. They need to stay ahead of the chains in the win-loss column as much as they do on drives. The pressure is on or Nix and the Broncos to bounce back. It all starts in Week 1 in Seattle against the Seahawks.
