ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — There wasn’t much doubt Jarrett Stidham would be the starting quarterback in the Denver Broncos’ preseason opener, which head coach Sean Payton made official following practice Friday inside the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse.
“The first phase will be somewhere between 15 and 20 (plays) ideally. Stidham will start in phase 1,’’ Payton said. “(Bo) Nix will be in phase 2. And then Zach (Wilson0 will be in phase 3.
“Nix might get a final series in phase 1.”
The question was why. Why did Payton decide to give Stidham the first nod and not the first-round rookie Nix for the preseason contest Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium (kickoff at 11 a.m. MDT, Channel 20)? After all, Nix will almost certainly become the starting quarterback sooner rather than later. And Nix has been taking at least as many first-team offensive reps as Stidham over the past 10 days or so of training camp.
“I just think right now, he’s been here, his experience,’’ Payton said of Stidham. “Next week it will be Nix.”
Hey now. Next week the Broncos have a joint practice Friday against the Green Bay Packers at Broncos Park followed by preseason game No. 2 on Sunday night (6 p.m. kickoff, 9NEWS) at Empower Field at Mile High. Nix will be the No. 1 quarterback that week. The rook is on his way.
Stidham did earn the first preseason start, though. Beginning with the fact he’s the incumbent. He started the Broncos’ final two games of last season as he replaced the benched, and now dispatched Russell Wilson. In those two games, Stidham averaged 248 passing yards while throwing two touchdowns against one interception. The Broncos won one, against the Chargers, and lost one, against the Raiders.
Those were starts No. 3 and 4 in Stidham’s career, which is going on six seasons. It began in 2019 when he was a fourth-round draft pick of the New England Patriots, whose top quarterback at the time was Tom Brady.
Stidham also played a better than Nix and another Broncos’ quarterback, Zach Wilson, during the offseason OTAs and again the first week of training camp. Nix has come on since then. So much that it would now be a surprise if the No. 12 overall draft selection from Oregon wasn’t Payton’s choice to start the Broncos’ regular-season opener Sunday, Sept. 8 at Seattle.
But until then, there are three preseason games for the Broncos and their fans to get a look at their 2024 team. Nix will get the second crack at running the Broncos’ offense with Wilson finishing up.