Bo Nix won’t play in Broncos first preseason game, QB plan revealed

Broncos Country will have to wait one more week to see Bo Nix back on the field.

Sean Payton revealed after practice on Wednesday that his franchise quarterback will not play in Denver’s preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday.

“Bo won’t play in this game, he’ll play next week,” Payton said.

The decision is a cautious one. Bo Nix is coming back from a broken ankle suffered during the Broncos’ AFC Divisional Round victory over the Buffalo Bills in January, a season-ending injury that cut short what was shaping up to be a deep playoff run.

Friday’s game in Atlanta will be played on the artificial turf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, an unnecessary risk for a quarterback the entire franchise is building around.

The rest of Denver’s starters are expected to see limited action.

“Kind of our first real practice devoted towards Atlanta. We’ll kinda go through the roles, expecting our starters to play around 15 plays,” Payton said.

He also indicated that injured starters would remain back in Denver and not make the trip.

The preseason opener will instead serve as a proving ground for the backup quarterback competition. Payton confirmed that Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger would each play one half, giving both signal-callers an extended opportunity to stake their claim to the QB2 role behind Nix.

Bo Nix, for his part, made it clear he’s ready to go.

“I’m excited. I think preseason’s always a great time to get back out there and get your feet wet a little bit and see defenses in a live situation before the first game,” Nix said after practice on Monday.

Broncos Country will get their wish next week when Denver hosts the Green Bay Packers at Empower Field at Mile High. Payton confirmed that Bo Nix will suit up for the final two preseason games.

“He wants to play, and he’ll play the next two weeks,” Payton said.

After months of rehab, a full training camp, and a team that believes it can win the Super Bowl, the anticipation for Nix’s return to live game action has only grown.

One more week of patience — and the wait will finally be over.

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