Don’t make too much of the Broncos QB rotation

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — With the Broncos QB situation, sometimes, it can be easy to try and place intent where none exists.

Take how Sean Payton has used the three quarterbacks at his disposal during the first two weeks of OTAs. By league edict, one practice in each of those two weeks must be open for media viewing. Payton opted to open the Thursday practices of each week, as he also did last year.

Both times, first-round pick Bo Nix handled the first-team repetitions.

Bo Nix has worked at QB on the 2 Broncos OTA days that were open for media viewing…but Sean Payton cautions not to make too much of it.

“It just so happened that we've gone every 3rd day and you guys have seen Nix running w/ the ones, so that's a little bit of a coincidence.” pic.twitter.com/0UpfTu3Goz

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) May 31, 2024

“I’ve told the coaches and I think it’s important for you all to know, man, don’t read into any type of rotation,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Thursday. “Now I’m trying to get combinations of players, you know, the quarterbacks are rotating ones, twos and threes and. But it just so happened that we’ve gone every third day and you guys have seen Nix running with the ones, so that’s a little bit of a coincidence.

In other words, sometimes a rotation is just a rotation. Even if it is one that spotlights the QB on whom the Broncos used a first-round pick to make their highest-drafted passer since 2006, when they selected Jay Cutler at No. 11.

Seven days earlier, in another positional rotation, the Broncos used Luke Wattenberg at center. Thursday, they plugged in rookie Alex Forsyth.

“I want to see the centers with the different guards. I want to see the quarterbacks with the different offensive lines,” Payton said.

“… This is the time of the season where you can do that, you know, and not worry about, oh, the quarterback’s getting hit because you have a younger offensive lineman maybe at one position or so.

“I want to see the rotations, and they don’t have to follow a set pattern. And it’s important to tell the players that, too.”

All roads likely lead to Bo Nix — eventually. But Nix working with the ones on the days on which media can watch and report back to an expectant Broncos Country doesn’t mean the starting job for Week 1 is already locked down.

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