ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As quarterback Bo Nix was scrolling through the many text messages and calls he received after being drafted by the Denver Broncos, he saw a message of support from Hall of Famer John Elway, someone who knows exactly the path he’s taking. Nix is taking. .
“That was definitely a cool text, I think it made my dad a little angry, because that was his favorite when he was a kid, so he was a little jealous,” Nix said. “That was amazing and it was like, ‘Is this really happening?’ But when you’re in a special city like that where everyone is supporting, you know, the next generation, that’s something I learned from that.”
Nix, who finished rookie minicamp on May 12, is the first quarterback the Broncos drafted in the first round since drafting Jay Cutler at No. 11 in 2006. He is now, as Broncos coach Sean Payton has said, in the early stages of a starting quarterback competition against Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson. And he is, whether he knows it or not, the object of new hope among the team’s loyal ticket buyers.
“I’m super excited…I can’t wait to get out and see everything,” Nix said when asked about his early arrival. “The city is incredible. I can’t believe I can wear a Broncos jersey and go out and do what so many greats have done before me. I don’t take it lightly and I’m not going to take it for granted. The pressure gives you opportunities. I think the more pressure and responsibility you have, the more you have to go out and earn it consistently.”
In a region obsessed with quarterbacks which has sold out every home game since 1970, the Broncos have made eight appearances in the Super Bowl and have won three Lombardi trophies that were hoisted by two Hall of Famers: Elway and Peyton Manning.
The Broncos have missed the playoffs in all eight consecutive seasons since winning Super Bowl 50. Twelve quarterbacks have started in those eight years. Payton benched another potential long-term solution at the position last season when Russell Wilson sat the final two weeks of the season and was released in March.
First-round pick Bo Nix will enter a starting quarterback competition against Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson. Mateo Stockman/Getty Images
General manager George Paton said Nix was one of six quarterbacks the Broncos had in the first round of last month’s Draft, and Paton and Payton said Nix was the team’s target early in the process.
With minicamp, Nix’s on-field work has officially begun, as has the when-he-plays clock surrounding Nix, Payton and the Broncos.
“(Payton) has built a pedigree; when he talks, you listen,” Nix said. “…It can be a lot; I think they are teaching me very well. (They are) doing a good job of boiling everything down, making it simple so I can come up, process and play fast.”
Nix is the first quarterback a team coached by Payton selects in the first round of a draft. How Payton handles a quarterback competition involving a rookie is as unknown as who will start between Nix, Stidham and Wilson.
Payton has already praised Nix’s maturity, decision-making, accuracy and composure as the Broncos progress through OTAs later this month and mandatory minicamp in mid-June. After two full minicamp practices, Payton gave Nix a favorable review.
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“It’s almost like watching a good golfer,” Payton said. “Sometimes, when you watch his game for two years, you can see patience in the way he plays. The ball comes out and… I don’t want to use the term boring, that’s not the right term, but pretty good decisions. With each play, the efficiency of how he’s operating and all that. … A lot of times, your first exposure to the huddle, the quick count and the talk can be a challenge, but I thought he pitched it well.”
Beyond all his draft preparation, Nix, who spent three seasons at Auburn and two at Oregon, had the help of former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers in his transition into the league. Nix, a native of Pinson, Alabama, said he worked with Rivers in Mobile, Alabama, “a couple of times.”
“He has a lot of knowledge, a lot more than me,” Nix said. “…Just his willingness was impressive; he didn’t have to do that.”
Since it’s only May, Payton showed patience with early questions about Nix’s play in a single practice and where he fits into the bigger picture. But as Nix learns how much Denver cares about who the Broncos’ quarterbacks are, Payton also dismissed any predictions about what things might look like when the team makes more public appearances in training camp.
“We’ll figure it out,” Payton said in minicamp when asked how he would divvy up the workload in training camp. “… With young guys, reps are important. But we’ll have a rotation and go from there.”
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