The Denver Broncos‘ quarterback competition will heat up this week when the Green Bay Packers come to town.
Broncos veteran Jarrett Stidham got the start in the team’s preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, but he only played two drives and those drives were shot in the foot by penalties and a turnover.
Denver rookie Bo Nix then entered the game and impressed, but he played against mostly backup defenders. Zach Wilson got mop-up duties and was efficient, going 10-of-13 passing for 117 yards.
“All three of those guys I thought did a good job,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after a 34-30 win. “We start with Stiddy and he gets a tough break where the ball bounces off [Samaje] Perine. We’re in scoring position before Tim [Patrick]’s penalty. We’re in scoring position and the penalty brings us out of the scoring position, but all three of them did a good job.”
Nix is now set to start against the Packers in Week 2 of preseason, but the QB battle will face an important test before Sunday’s game.
Green Bay is expected to rest most starters against the Broncos in Week 2 of preseason, but those starters will feature in a joint practice in Denver on Friday. Stidham and Nix are both expected to get first-team reps against Packers defenders, and it could be a pivotal practice for the QB battle.
“I think it’s probably the most important part of the evaluation – these [preseason] games and then the scrimmages,” Payton said.
Nix looked sharp against backups in Indianapolis. If he continues to play well when he faces Green Bay’s starters this week, perhaps the Broncos could announce a starting quarterback before their preseason finale. Payton has not given a timeline for when a starter will be announced, but it’s clear that this week will be important for Stidham and Nix.
