Broncos QB Bo Nix Named 'Most Intriguing' Player to Watch in Preseason Game

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Jul 26, 2024; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) during training camp at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Broncos Country has to wait until one of the very last games of the NFL's first preseason week to see its team. The Denver Broncos will take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

While it's preseason football, the stats the players accumulate and the outcomes of the games often hold little predictive power on what will happen once meaningful action starts only a few weeks later, the individual matchups and newly acquired talents are always worth tuning in to see in the Orange and Blue.

According to Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema, Nix is the “must-watch” rookie in Denver’s matchup on Sunday.  

"There are a few really good options for a rookie to have your eye on in this game: Laiatu Latu, Adonai Mitchell, Troy Franklin, Audric Estime, Tanor Bortolini, etc. But none of those guys can answer the million-dollar question: Can the Bo Nix of Oregon show up and excel in the NFL? That’s what the Broncos bet on when they took him at No. 12 overall. We’ll get our first look at that this weekend," Sikkema wrote.

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Much was made of the Broncos selecting Nix back in April. As the sixth quarterback selected (in the first round), his older age compared to most prospects in the class. The general consensus was that Nix was more of a Day 2 talent.

Some think Denver reached when taking Nix. However, Sean Payton and the Broncos appeared to be ecstatic about landing Nix at No. 12 overall. With Nix’s combination of accuracy, physicality, athleticism, and intelligence, Payton appears to believe that Nix would be a fantastic fit to run his style of offense.

Reports from camp would indicate that the Broncos may have made the right call and landed a long-term answer at quarterback after wandering quarterback purgatory for a decade post-Peyton Manning. With that said, getting the job done in camp against your own teammates in a controlled environment is one thing.

It’s another thing entirely to execute in a game setting on the field. While preseason football is not the regular season, as teams tend to play more vanilla play calls and many star players sit, as positional battles ensue, it still is a significant step up from OTAs and training camp.

Broncos fans would be wise not to overreact to a good or bad showing from Nix versus the Colts, given these factors in what will be an extremely small sample size. However, the anticipation of what Nix will look like in his first true NFL action is palpable.

As Payton revealed on Friday, Nix will take the field after the incumbent starter veteran Jarrett Stidham gets the start. Nix will start next week versus the Green Bay Packers, and Palmer reported his belief that the Broncos will likely name their Week 1 starter following that matchup.

What would a successful preseason outing look like for Nix? With questions surrounding the talent of the Broncos’ second-string offensive line and battles occurring all throughout the skill positions, Nix could play well despite holes and struggling pieces around him.

If Nix can take the field, quickly and efficiently get in the play calls, get his teammates lined up, make the correct pre-snap reads based on the defense’s alignment, and work through his reads relatively efficiently, that should be enough for Payton and the Broncos. Nix will not be afforded the style of offense and massive talent disparity he had at Oregon going against a PAC-12 known for not fielding many great defenses.

Nix displaying simple and safe execution, doing the little things, and keeping the offense on time would be a major win for the Broncos as everyone hopes the team finally found a long-term solution at the most important position in sports.

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