Favorite turns out to be starting QB in week 1

The biggest story for the Denver Broncos during training camp this summer is their quarterback situation. Sean Payton and company moved on from Russell Wilson after two seasons. It was a disastrous combination.

With Wilson in Pittsburgh, the Broncos’ quarterback situation is completely uncertain. They traded former New York Jets first-round pick Zach Wilson just before the 2024 NFL Draft last spring.

Denver then spent its first-round pick on former Oregon Ducks star signal-caller Bo Nix. With Jarrett Stidham a holdover from a season ago, most thought we were looking at a three-man competition during camp.

That may not be the case.

ESPN’s Jeff Legwold reports that Nix appears to have the upper hand over his two experienced colleagues.

While Payton has never had a rookie starter at quarterback in a head coaching career dating back to 2006, many around the league believe the coach positioned himself from draft day to make Nix his first, Legwold said.

Related: Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix Ranks Among NFL Quarterbacks

Bo Nix has the experience to start for the Denver Broncos from the beginning

That’s one reason Denver apparently grabbed the reigning Heisman finalist. Since his time at Auburn, he’s thrown 1,936 passes in college. That’s rare for a quarterback headed to the NFL.

This seems to line up with Payton’s thinking. Here’s what the Broncos head coach had to say about Nix when he drew a comparison to his former New Orleans Saints quarterback, Drew Brees.

“Okay, we’re looking for common ground. I would say mentally, Nix wants to know as much as he can as quickly as he can,” Payton said, via CBS Sports . “I think there’s maybe a maturity level there because, again, Nix played 61 games in college and when the Saints brought in Drew, it was off his rookie contract and after an injury.”

As for the competition, an earlier report indicated that Wilson may have slipped to No. 3 on the Broncos’ depth chart, behind Nix and Stidham. That also seems to line up with the report that Nix is ​​the favorite for the job.

He will make his pre-season debut on August 11 against the Indianapolis Colts.