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Head coach Sean Payton met with Nix and Jarrett
Stidham on Wednesday morning before announcing his decision in a
team meeting. Zach Wilson is also on the roster, acquired from
the New York Jets in an April trade.
"The larger body of work," Payton said of what pushed Nix over
the competition. "There's certain things right now with Stiddy's
experience that you see. I would say a lot of the off-schedule
movement throws. I think he's been consistent. It's not really a
reflection on Jarrett or even Zach. It's some of the things that
he's been able to do pretty quickly. His arm strength down the
field -- all the things when we evaluated him. You kind of trust
your instincts."
Payton said he was on the same page with owner Greg Penner and
general manager George Paton that the organization would allow
the process to play out and "not rush into anything."
In two preseason games, Nix completed 23 of 30 passes for 205
yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Broncos
scored on six of his seven drives against the Indianapolis Colts
and Green Bay Packers.
Denver opens the regular season on the road against the Seattle
Seahawks on Sept. 8. The Broncos have not been to the playoffs
since winning Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning under center on
Feb. 7, 2016.
"It will be a special moment," Nix said of the Week 1 start.
"Obviously, that's great to share with such a great player like
John Elway, but definitely want to (go) out there and (do)
whatever I can do ultimately for the team. It doesn't matter
when your first start is. It doesn't matter if you have to wait
or you go right now. You just want to go out there and get the
first win and ultimately compete at a high level and give your
team the best chance possible. That's what my goal is at the
beginning, just to give our team the best chance to go out there
and win games every week."
Last season, Denver finished 8-9. Russell Wilson, now with the
Pittsburgh Steelers, was 7-8 and Stidham was 1-1.
Nix, 24, was the 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft out of
Oregon. No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and No. 2 Jayden Daniels have
also been named the starters by the Chicago Bears and Washington
Commanders, respectively.
Nix is also the first rookie quarterback to open a season for
Payton, who is entering his second season in Denver after 15
seasons with the New Orleans Saints (2006-11, 2013-21).
--Field Level Media [© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
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