Bo Nix entering Broncos training camp with huge momentum in competition

In order to understand just how excited Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is about rookie quarterback Bo Nix, we need to revisit some of the comments he made after Nix was initially selected 12th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. After Payton selected Nix, you could feel his excitement. He had been waiting months to be able to tell everyone what he really thought of Nix during the pre-draft process.

"He's super intelligent...The thing that we kept finding with him...1st on 3rd down, 1st with fewest sacks, the most accurate passer in college football history, 1st at the end of the half two-minute, 1st at the end of the game two-minute, 2nd in red zone, fewest sacks...So, number one he's extremely smart. He handles protections. And he's a tough sack...The ball comes out.

...I think, aside from the mental then...his arm strength was extremely impressive. He does throw it from a noisy pocket. Some quarterbacks need that full stride-step...

...I remember saying this in our ownership meeting and I said, 'We can't be the only ones seeing this.' In other words -- we've got to avoid the NFL train..."

- Sean Payton

Furthermore, take a listen to what Payton said to legendary Patriots head coach Bill Belichick when he was interviewed on the night of the 2024 NFL Draft:

Payton told Belichick that he got into the car after Nix's pro day and looked around and said, "Are you kidding me?"

Payton has been blown away by Nix from the start, and it's crucial to have that context in mind when you hear reports like we got from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on a Sunday version of SportsCenter.

"We have a real quarterback battle in Denver. Bo Nix will be battling it out with Zach Wilson, veteran Jarrett Stidham for that starting job. And here's where Nix can make a compelling case. In the spring, I was told that he was really everything Sean Payton thought he would be. At least, you know the early sentiments. He can operate in the pocket with a lot of traffic around him. He showed a hair-quick trigger release out of the pocket, and then he's been athletic and really mature. He's showed with 61 starts in college that came out in how he handles himself in team meetings and on the practice field inside and outside the huddle. So, made quite the impression so far."

- Jeremy Fowler (via SportsCenter)

Nix blew Payton and the Broncos away in the pre-draft process and has been "everything Sean Payton thought he would be" so far.

Clearly, the rookie quarterback has some serious momentum going into training camp. I'm sure we'll see the Denver Broncos do the diplomatic thing and open camp with Jarrett Stidham -- the veteran of the group -- as the de facto QB1. But it isn't going to be long, in all likelihood, for Nix to take over that spot and seize his eventual role of starter.

This is not a contrived quarterback "competition" offseason in Denver. This is a "wait for Sean Payton to officially announce what we all know is going to happen" kind of situation. During the pre-draft process, everyone could see just how perfect of a fit Nix was for Payton, and vice versa. We explored many mock draft possibilities but it felt like Nix to the Broncos was almost a foregone conclusion for months. You can apply similar logic to this situation here. Although we have to wait and see what's going to happen, Bo Nix is eventually going to be the starter of this Denver Broncos team.

The momentum he's bringing from the Spring pre-dates his time as a member of the Denver Broncos. Nix has been gaining ground on Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson since the pre-draft process. As soon as Sean Payton had his mind made up on drafting Nix in the 1st round, he essentially told us he had his mind made up about making him the starting QB sooner rather than later.

With the Broncos opening up training camp this week, don't be shocked if this process feels a bit more drawn out than you'd like it to. But also don't be surprised if Payton kills the theatrics early on and officially ushers in the Bo Nix era. Nobody is more excited for that than the head coach himself.