Before practice on Wednesday, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton gathered his three quarterbacks together and told them Bo Nix won the starting job, beating out Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson after two weeks of preseason.
“Right out here on the practice field before practice [I told them],” Payton said. “I just grabbed each one of them. I didn’t want to read about this in the national media before I spoke to you guys [local media].”
By telling his QBs right before practice, there were no opportunities for the news to break during practice. After the session ended, Payton first broke the news to military members visiting practice, then he met with local media members and officially announced the news.
The coach handled it nonchalantly.
“Yeah, he walked up and said that he was going to tell you guys this afternoon [and said], ‘Let’s have a good practice,'” Nix recalled.
How did the rookie quarterback react?
“He smiled and he was good,” Payton said. “We’re getting ready to practice, and that was it. We didn’t have cake and candles or anything like that.”
Nix eventually winning the job always felt like a formality, but Payton wanted him to earn it this summer.
“[E]verything in this league is earned,” Payton said. “The minute that there’s someone that has something that’s not earned, that can affect and impact your locker room. It really can. I’ve told the story with you guys about other positions, guys that were drafted that were released and free agents that made it. These guys see it.
“Now, we’re rooting for all of them. We really are. Why wouldn’t we? We want to see all these young players have success, and yet there’s still that element of show, earn and demonstrate. You guys obviously have spent a lot of time not just talking directly with the quarterbacks, and there’s a confidence level.”
This is the outcome Payton wanted to see after using a first-round draft pick to select Nix in April. The coach wasn’t going to force the decision or hand the job to Nix right as he walked through the door. Nix had to win the job this summer and he answered the bell.
“I just didn’t want to hurry it,” Payton said of his decision. “Teams handle these things differently. There’s certain things that I believe in and we kind of set out a plan. I’m pleased with how he’s playing and it’s much easier to make a decision like that and much more difficult maybe if he wasn’t having this—you guys understand where I’m [going]. We got a chance to see it. That’s most important for the locker room, I think.”
After completing 23-of-30 passes for 205 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers, Nix as QB1 was an easy decision for the Broncos, and his teammates witnessed him win the job. That’s important for the locker room, and that’s why Payton held a quarterback competition this summer.
