Broncos Veterans Gush About Bo Nix in Locker Room After Packers Win

The Denver Broncos veterans are already closing ranks around Bo Nix.

Aug 11, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) and quarterback Bo Nix (10) stand on the field during warm ups before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

It's getting hard to present a counter-argument against anointing Bo Nix as the new starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos. 

Preseason Game 2 against the Green Bay Packers saw the Broncos' rookie quarterback go 8-for-9 for 80 yards and a touchdown in a lopsided 27-2 home victory. Nix dissected a genuine Super Bowl contender, albeit the second-team defense, and left proceedings with most fans sure that the 24-year-old has the right stuff.  

Nix navigated his first NFL start rather seamlessly, even against some lesser-known Packers. The Broncos' win proved further that the 12th overall pick in this year's NFL draft is the total package.

Everything Nix did with his live arm, legs, and decision-making pointed toward head coach Sean Payton conclusively ending the ongoing three-way quarterback competition this week, but the Broncos boss still pushed back post-game about making an announcement.

Of course, the excitement and expectations for Nix should be temered somewhat by the surety of the NFL throwing many more stiff challenges at the rookie than a pair of preseason games ever will. Still, veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton sees plenty in Nix that points toward a player beyond his years who will step up when adversity and complexity arise as he rides the rookie roller-coaster.

"I think that he has a really good head on his shoulders," Sutton said via Denver Sports' Andrew Mason post-game. "He understands that that comes with the territory. He's going to go out there and make sure that he's in the right place mentally, physically, emotionally—to be able to go out there and put the best thing forward for us and the team... It's a roller coaster for rookies, especially rookie quarterbacks. And I think that he's going to do a really good job of handling it. And he has good guys around us. Some of the older guys in our room and some of the other guys on our side of the ball are gonna make sure that when we do hit that stumble, he doesn't look at it as a fall and that he picks himself back up and we help pick him up and dust it off and move on to the next one."

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Sutton serving notice that the veterans on this team will circle the wagons when Nix may need it speaks of a much more mature and professional Broncos roster emerging in 2024. Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball, P.J. Locke is rather impressed with Nix thus far, but the safety remains focused on continuing to sharpen up his rookie quarterback's skills in practice.

"He's super, super efficient, man," Locke said post-game, again via Mason. "I think he's like a very seasoned rookie. I mean, just the way he marches down the field, the way he carries himself, the confidence he has. He has confidence in his arm. He's able to read the defense and make the correct reads. And, man, he just continues to get better every week. And our job is to challenge him in practice, and, man, he's stepping up big time."

As the days march on, it's becoming clear that Payton has forensically identified Nix as the ideal quarterback to fit within a scheme he's now tweaking organically to fit the passer's dynamic skill set. The stellar performances and practice sessions Nix has stacked this summer have the Broncos' QB1 arrow pointing directly at the former Heisman Trophy finalist. 

With only one preseason game left to play this Sunday, chances are that Nix might be watching from the sidelines if Payton opts to make his ultimate announcement at quarterback this week. A determination to protect his rookie from the inevitable weight of expectations would be the only plausible reason Payton might pivot toward Jarrett Stidham as his starter initially, but that seems like a remote possibility at this point.

Forget the repeated swings and misses of the past; Payton has been determined to turn the page on Denver's quarterback purgatory, but he wanted his rookie to truly earn the starting job. Perhaps that's why Payton is delaying the announcement of Nix as the starter.

Payton's quarterback exorcism didn't come cheap either, as the Broncos absorbed a $53 million dead-money hit to the salary cap in 2024 to jettison Russell Wilson so he could start over with a hand-picked rookie, who ended up being Nix. And now, the Broncos are poised to capitalize on all those sacrifices.

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