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As the rest of the NFL starts to take notice of Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix, it’s worth pointing out that he still hasn’t officially been named the team’s starter.
After two solid preseason outings, it now seems more like a formality that Nix will be declared the starter over veterans Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson — Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski even has Nix as the No. 1 NFL rookie in the preseason in his latest NFL rooking rankings on Aug. 20.
Nix has been stellar in two preseason outings so far and is 23-of-30 for 205 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions in wins over the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers.
The Broncos close out the preseason on Aug. 25 at home against the Arizona Cardinals and open the regular season on Sept. 8 at the Seattle Seahawks.
“The Chicago Bears‘ Caleb Williams and Washington Commanders‘ Jayden Daniels have already been named starting quarterbacks after being the first and second overall draft picks,” Sobleski wrote. “Bo Nix was the sixth and last quarterback chosen in the first round. He should be the next to get a starting nod.”
Payton Has Never Started Rookie Quarterback
Nix could make a really specific type of history if he earns the starting spot for the Broncos in that he would be the first rookie to start at quarterback under head coach Sean Payton in almost 20 seasons as an NFL head coach.
Nix was the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft and the sixth quarterback taken in the draft. He also comes along during one of the darkest times in franchise history.
The Broncos have been objectively terrible at quarterback since winning the Super Bowl following the 2015 season, which was Peyton Manning’s last as the starter. They haven’t made the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl, haven’t had a winning season since 2016 and started 13 different quarterbacks in that stretch.
Nix already has experience on his side after he set the NCAA record with 61 career starts from 2019 to 2023 at Auburn and Oregon, going 43-18 as a starter.
In 2023, he was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and a Heisman Trophy finalist and set the NCAA single-season record for completion percentage (77.4 percent) and led the FBS with 45 passing touchdowns. He also set a single-season school record 4,508 passing yards.
Nix Not Only Broncos Rookie to Appear in Rankings
Nix wasn’t the only Denver rookie who got some love in the NFL Rooking Rankings.
Outside linebacker Jonah Ellis, a third-round pick out of Utah (N0. 76 overall) was placed just outside the Top 10 in the “Names to Watch” category for the second consecutive week.
“Elliss has found himself on this list during back-to-back weeks,” Sobleski wrote. “The rankings are offense-heavy this week, but Elliss could very well crack the lineup before the preseason is complete.”
Elliss, the son of former NFL defensive tackle Luther Elliss, has been dominant through the first 2 preseason games for the Broncos with 2.0 sacks, 3 TFL and 1 fumble recovery. He’s currently listed behind Jonathon Cooper on the depth chart.
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