Bo Nix Named Broncos' QB1 Over Zach Wilson, Jarrett Stidham; Will Start vs. Seahawks

The Denver Broncos' quarterback battle has a winner, with Bo Nix beating out Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham.

Head coach Sean Payton made the decision official on Wednesday, meaning the rookie will be under center for the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.

Adam Schefter of ESPN noted that Nix will be the first Broncos rookie quarterback to start in Week 1 since John Elway.

Nix has been the standout performer of the three in preseason. He looked good in a 34-30 win over the Indianapolis Colts, finishing 15-of-21 for 125 yards and a touchdown. Wilson and Stidham, meanwhile, combined to go 14-of-20 for 154 yards and an interception against Indianapolis.

Denver's 27-2 win over the Green Bay Packers brought more of the same. Nix was an efficient 8-of-9 for 80 yards and a touchdown. Stidham and Wilson (9-of-17, 94 yards, one touchdown and one interception) failed to keep pace.

Drawing conclusions from the preseason can be a fool's errand, lest we forget the excitement Kenny Pickett generated last year. In the case of Nix, he at least did everything he could to justify why he warranted QB1 status in Week 1.

The Broncos' decision to release Russell Wilson—and absorb a sizable financial hit as a result—in March didn't come as a shock. The nine-time Pro Bowler got benched with two games left on the schedule in 2023, and his partnership with head coach Sean Payton had been a marriage of convenience from the outset.

Wilson's departure created a vacuum at quarterback, though, with no clear internal successor.

Stidham was the only candidate, but he has been a career backup who didn't move the needle much when he took over for Wilson. In two starts, he went 40-of-66 for 496 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

The Broncos' desperation to land another QB was evident in their selection of Nix with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

The former Auburn and Oregon star made the most of his two years in Eugene, throwing for 8,101 yards and 74 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. His 188.3 passer rating in 2023 was second in the FBS behind LSU's Jayden Daniels.

Still, taking Nix that early was widely viewed as a reach for Denver. He was the No. 61 overall player on Bleacher Report's final big board, with B/R scout Derrik Klassen comparing him to three-time Pro Bowler Andy Dalton.

The Broncos had also acquired Wilson from the New York Jets days before the draft got underway.

Nix was arguably the leader from the start in the three-way race for the starting job.

One presumes Payton and general manager George Paton wouldn't have been so aggressive in targeting the position if they had believed in Stidham, so he was presumably out. And for as much as Wilson may benefit from a change of scenery, his three-year run with the New York Jets was a disaster. He showed little growth between his rookie campaign and what proved to be his last season in the Big Apple, pushing him to the periphery as well.

In addition, Nix is at the older end of the spectrum for a draft prospect after having played five years in college. He turned 24 in February.

The first-rounder should theoretically be a little more pro-ready than his younger counterparts in the 2024 class, and the clock is already ticking in a way it typically isn't for an incoming rookie.

With all of the factors at play, handing Nix the keys to the offense in a rebuilding year over Wilson and Stidham was the obvious outcome.