ENGLEWOOD, Colo — It may only be the month of May. There may not be any hits allowed on the quarterback.
But Bo Nix looks ready.
We have seen the Broncos’ first-round rookie work with the first-team offense against the first-team defense two weeks in a row now. Head coach Sean Payton indicated this is simply the luck of the draw. Incumbent Jarrett Stidham gets first chance with the No. 1 team on Tuesday, veteran Zach Wilson works with the starters on Wednesday, and the rookie Nix goes last on Thursday, which is media-viewing day.
Still, we can only see what we see.
Nix started his OTA team portion Thursday by zipping two midrange completions. Stidham may have had the pass of the day with a long connection to Marvin Mims. And Zach Wilson is going to make this team when all is said and done.
But Bo is advanced beyond his professional seasoning.
“It’s hard for me to catch you up on a Netflix series,’’ Payton said. “You guys watch one and then miss (two) and then you miss one, and I’m trying to catch you up.
“But all three of them are doing well," he said. "Specifically to Bo, he’s doing really well. He’s picking it up. There’s a lot that’s going in. He’s throwing the ball extremely.”
Some tough news at OTA Thursday: Rookie running back Audric Estime underwent what can deemed a minor arthroscopic procedure. Estime suffered a knee injury during last Thursday's media-viewing practice.
“We did a PRP (plasma and platelets therapy), a small scope procedure, just to make sure everything is clean – it is,’’ Payton said. “He’ll be available at the start of training camp. So we won’t see him working through the rest of these OTAs, but on the conservative side he’s going to be just fine. It was all good news. He’ll stay in rehab, but he’ll be full go at the start of training camp.’’
Some great news today: Riley Odoms and Steve Foley from those great Orange Crush teams in the late 1970s were elected into the Broncos Ring of Fame.
Odoms was a tight end who had more catches and more receiving yards than Dave Casper. And Casper flew into the Pro Football Hall of Fame 21 years ago.
Foley has the team record with 44 interceptions. He’s had the record for 38 years and counting, and no one’s come close to breaking it. He credited his former defensive coordinator Joe Collier who passed away recently.
“I just wish I could give Joe Collier a call,’’ Foley said. “I called him before this last Super Bowl. I would call him often and all the players that we played with they loved Joe Collier. He was an incredible coach and man and got the most out of us. He was just a special, special man. And I just wish after the 9 o’clock call with Greg, gotten off the phone and said, Joe, another one of ours is in.”
A big day for both the past and present Thursday at the Broncos’ practice facility.
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