There’s a reason Sean Payton used an early first-round pick to select Oregon quarterback Bo Nix this spring. He’s a perfect fit for Payton’s offense, and it feels like a matter of when not if Nix will be named the starting quarterback.
During an interview with Kay Adams earlier this week, Payton was asked why he hasn’t already named Nix the Denver Broncos‘ starting quarterback. Payton danced around the question, but he couldn’t help but gush with praise for Nix, and he admitted to Adams that he doesn’t have a good poker face. It’s clear that the coach likes what he’s seen from the rookie this summer.
“His decision making was good,” Payton said Wednesday when asked about Nix’s preseason debut. “I felt he was comfortable in the pocket. I thought his locations were good. The number one thing to do at quarterback is lead your team and we scored.”
Payton, of course, noted that there’s room for improvement for Nix. But his overall performance was encouraging.
“There’s two plays where I think he can set his feet. He’s kind of backing up a little and we can clean that up, but I liked the production with his group while he was in there. Ultimately that’s their job [to score]. … There were a lot of positives.”
Nix went 15-of-21 passing for 125 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers against the Indianapolis Colts last week. He is now set to start against the Green Bay Packers this week. Based on Payton’s praise, Nix seems to be the favorite to win the QB1 job in Denver.
