Bo Nix sitting out of the preseason opener changes absolutely nothing

There’s a sense of anxiety that creeps into a fan base when its franchise quarterback hasn’t played a real snap in months. Broncos Country is no exception.

Bo Nix broke his ankle in the AFC Divisional Round against the Buffalo Bills. He went through two surgeries. He spent the offseason rehabbing. He returned at minicamp. He’s been practicing at training camp. And now, with the first preseason game of the year scheduled for Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons, Sean Payton has announced that Nix won’t be suiting up.

Some fans are going to be nervous about that. They shouldn’t be.

On a recent edition of “Stokley and Evans, with Mark Schlereth” on 104.3 The Fan, Mike Evans made the case that Payton’s decision is not only defensible, it’s the only decision that makes any sense. Evans framed it in the most direct terms possible.

“When it comes to Bo making the leap in year three, it’s either gonna happen, or it’s not. And him playing, or not playing seven to 10 snaps (Friday) night, is not gonna make any difference whatsoever whether or not he makes the leap in year three,” Evans said.

A handful of scripted plays in a preseason game against Atlanta’s second-string defense isn’t going to determine whether Nix takes the next step as a quarterback. His development is going to be shaped by the thousands of reps he’s already accumulated in practice, the two full seasons of NFL experience on his résumé, and the structural upgrades the franchise has made around him.

Evans expanded on the broader picture that actually matters.

“He’s either ready to do it based on these first two years, and the experience, and the improved talent around him, and maybe what Davis Webb will bring. All of that is going to determine whether or not he makes the leap in year three. Not whether he plays tomorrow night,” Evans said.

The leap, if it’s coming, will be the product of Jaylen Waddle’s addition, Davis Webb’s play calling, Courtland Sutton’s continued excellence and the overall maturation of a quarterback entering his third professional season. It will not be the product of seven snaps on artificial turf three weeks before the games actually count.

The risk-reward calculation is laughably simple. The Broncos gain almost nothing from trotting their franchise quarterback out for a meaningless quarter of preseason football. They risk everything if he takes an awkward hit on a surface that has historically been harder on joints and ligaments, particularly for a player recovering from ankle surgery.

Every smart coach makes this call. And the fact that Nix will play in the next two preseason games should give the fan base all the reassurance it needs.

Broncos Country wants to see Bo Nix. That’s understandable. The wait has been long. The ankle has been the dominant storyline of the offseason. But one more week of patience is a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes with protecting the most important player on the roster.

Friday night will belong to the backups, the roster hopefuls, and the young players fighting for their NFL lives. Bo Nix’s season starts when it matters. And Mike Evans is confident that when it does, the preseason will be the last thing anyone is thinking about

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