Sean Payton picks starting QB for first Broncos game with a twist

When the Denver Broncos take the game field for the first time in preparation for the 2024 season they will be led by Jarrett Stidham.

Second-year head coach Sean Payton picked Stidham as the starting quarterback for the team’s opening preseason game in Indianapolis on Sunday. Stidham has not yet won the competition from a group of three players vying for the No. 1 gig. Though he getting the starting nod against the Colts and currently being atop the depth chart is notable. But Payton said on Friday that Bo Nix would get a start in the preseason in the following week’s game and Zach Wilson will still play.

“Right now he’s been here, his experience,” Payton said of his decision. “Next week it will be Nix but we’re focused on this game and that’s where we’re at.”

Stidham was viewed as the favorite to initially win the gig for the Broncos given he’s the incumbent and has more NFL experience. His knowledge of Payton’s playbook as well as the relationship the quarterback has with other players are viewed as big positives.

It’s not all that uncommon to see a rookie like Nix not get starting action right away but rather later into his first season or perhaps sitting behind a more experienced gunslinger for some time. But Stidham is not some longtime NFL star, and Nix is not somebody without experience.

Stidham has four NFL starts under his belt, all coming in meaningless games at the end of the past two seasons. First, it was with the Raiders and then last year he got his two starts against the Chargers and Raiders. While playing for the Broncos, he threw for fewer than 500 total yards, had two touchdowns and the one interception. Denver scored 30 points, or 15 per game. One of Stidham’s two TDs was created by a phenomenal catch and run from Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

Meanwhile, Nix, the 12th pick in this spring’s NFL Draft, has impressed in his first pro training camp. He was a Heisman-nominated gunslinger last year while playing for the Oregon Ducks. A five-year starter in college, and the Offensive Player of the Year in the Pac-12 this past fall, Nix is looked at as the solution to the Broncos quarterback issues that have persisted since Peyton Manning retired. Nix threw for 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns to just three interceptions while tacking on another 234 yards and six touchdowns on the ground last fall. In 2022, Nix actually rushed for 510 yards and 14 touchdowns, showing he’s capable of getting outside of the pocket and is willing to put his body on the line. Nix is expected to make his pro debut in the Broncos first preseason game and may even see some time with the No. 1 group.

Then there’s Wilson, who has had a rough NFL career after being selected with the second pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Jets. He’s been tagged for 113 sacks in just 34 career games. He has led five game-winning drives and is a former AFC Player of the Week but the former Cougar has also thrown 25 interceptions to 23 touchdowns on just 57% passing in his career. Wilson should see some action at some point against the Colts and could likely light up their third team.

The Broncos kick off against the Colts at 11 a.m. on Sunday, the game will be broadcast on NFL Network and locally on KTDV, channel 20. Denver will have two more preseason games, hosting the Packers, when Nix will start, and the Cardinals on the following Sundays. Green Bay will travel to Colorado for some joint practices with the Broncos late next week. The next 10 days with the two preseason games and ramped-up practices will likely decide who starts Week 1 in Seattle.