Broncos Owner on Rookie QB Bo Nix as Starter: 'We're Going to Support Him'

Greg Penner finally broke his silence on the Bo Nix subject after the rookie's impressive summer campaign.

Aug 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) before the game Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

One of the hallmarks of success for a quarterback drafted in the first round is organizational alignment. It can make or break a highly drafted quarterback.

The Denver Broncos were totally aligned on the team's decision to draft quarterback Bo Nix at No. 12 overall back in April. Head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton were obviously the point men on the Nix decision, but such a call required the rubber-stamp support of ownership.

It's safe to say that the 'three Ps' — Payton, Paton, and Penner — shared a brain on Nix. During Thursday's ground-breaking ceremony at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit, CEO and co-owner Greg Penner shared his impressions on Nix's early returns through the offseason, training camp, and preseason.

“I've been really impressed with his poise and maturity. There's something about starting so many games in college that obviously develops that," Penner said of Nix. "I think he's got some incredible traits. It was great to see how he played in the first two preseason games."

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Nix was awesome in preseason Game 1 and 2, leading the Broncos to six scoring drives on seven posssessions, totaling 30 points. He jumped off the screen, so to speak, separating himself clearly from veterans Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson.

The rookie first-rounder was as advertised. The Broncos named Nix the starter after Game 2, so he sat in the preseason finale.

"I had a chance to call him after Sean announced that he would be the starting quarterback," Penner continued on Nix. "I had a great conversation with him then. All rookies are going to go through some ups and downs in their first season, and I told him we're going to support him. I'm excited to see what he can do on the field and the rest of this roster.”

Undoubtedly, Nix will have his fair share of bumps and scrapes along the trial-and-error road to becoming a bonafide franchise quarterback, but he just so happens to have the ideal steward to shepherd him through those "ups and downs" Penner speaks to. And we've already seen how Nix's 61 college starts in the SEC and PAC-12 (an NCAA record) have minimized the traditional, expected rookie learning curve.

Time will tell exactly how it works out for Nix, but the organization is aligned in its belief and support of the 24-year-old rookie. The Broncos have long searched for a quarterback to carry the franchise mantle forward post-Peyton Manning, and for the first time since Super Bowl 50, it feels like that hunt is finally resolving.

The Broncos have great ownership. They have the head coach/offensive mastermind. And now, Payton has his triggerman — a 'point guard on the grass' to serve as a faithful extension of the coach on the field.

The Nix era officially kicks off on September 8 when the Broncos travel to take on the Seattle Seahawks in the regular-season opener.

---

Follow Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!