Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton named Bo Nix the team’s starting quarterback on Wednesday. The rookie is now set to make history when he starts against the Seattle Seahawks to open the regular season on Sept. 8.
Nix will become the team’s first rookie quarterback to start in Week 1 since John Elway made his debut in 1983. Elway was yanked at halftime and the Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 14-10 in their season opener 41 years ago. That initial setback didn’t stop Elway from going on to reach five Super Bowls, winning two titles in Denver.
No pressure, Bo.
“It will be a special moment,” Nix said Wednesday. “Obviously, that’s great to share with such a great player like John Elway, but definitely want to consider going out there and doing whatever I can do ultimately for the team.
“It doesn’t matter when your first start is and doesn’t matter if you have to wait or go right now. You just want to get out there, get the first win, ultimately compete at a high level and give your team the best chance possible. That is what my goal is at the beginning. Just give our team the best chance to go out there and win games every week.”
Nix will also become the team’s 14th starting quarterback since Peyton Manning retired following the 2015 season. Manning spent the final four years of his career in Denver and helped them reach a pair of Super Bowls. Manning retired after winning Super Bowl 50 nine years ago.
The list of quarterbacks drafted by the Broncos includes Drew Lock, Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, Tim Tebow, Jay Cutler and Brian Griese. All of them spent time as a starter in Denver, but none of them started Week 1 of their rookie season. Nix is now set to snap that streak after being picked by Payton in the first round of this year’s NFL draft.
After releasing Russell Wilson in March and taking on the largest dead money salary cap hit in NFL history, the Broncos have now named their replacement in Nix. It’s officially Bo Time in Denver.
