Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix is set to make history as he becomes the team’s first rookie starting quarterback in 41 years. Head coach Sean Payton announced on Wednesday that Nix will start in the Broncos’ National Football League (NFL) season opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, on September 8.
The last time a rookie quarterback started for the Broncos in a regular season opener was in 1983, when John Elway took the helm. Elway, a legendary figure in Denver, was traded to the Broncos one week after being selected first overall by the Baltimore Colts. He spent his entire 16-season career with the Broncos, leading them to two Super Bowl victories and earning numerous accolades, including nine Pro Bowl selections and the 1992 NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
“Obviously, that’s great to share with such a great player as John Elway,” Nix said. “You just want to go out there and get the first win, ultimately compete at a high level, and give your team the best chance to win.”
Nix was drafted 12th overall by Denver in this year’s NFL Draft. During his college career at Auburn University and the University of Oregon, he completed 1,286 of 1,936 passes for 15,351 yards, 113 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions over 61 games spanning five years.
Coach Payton expressed confidence in Nix’s potential. “We’re not in a hurry to arrive at those types of decisions; we want to see it,” Payton said. “He’s been outstanding. Obviously, there’s a ton of room for growth, a lot of things he needs to work on, but there is a maturity level with him.”
This isn’t the first time Payton has started a rookie quarterback; he did so with Ian Book during his tenure with the New Orleans Saints in 2021. In Payton’s first season with the Broncos in 2023, the team finished with eight wins and nine losses, missing the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year since their Super Bowl 50 triumph in February 2016.
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Bo Nix to become first rookie starting QB for Broncos in 41 years
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