The Broncos' quarterback battle heads toward its second preseason affair Sunday as Denver faces the Green Bay Packers.
Following last week's impressive rookie debut from Bo Nix, head coach Sean Payton said Wednesday that he knows there is a push to name a starter, but he likes how the entire trio -- Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson -- has performed.
“Every one of us recognizes the significance of getting that position settled and having [someone at] that position who we feel like we can win with,” Payton said Wednesday, via the team’s official transcript. “When that is unsettled, it’s tough on your team. ...
“It’s a good group to work with and I know the offensive coaches feel that way. I feel that way. I like where we’re at right now and that’s encouraging for our team. Because when that’s unsettled and maybe not as far along, then there’s a lot of things you can do well and yet the team sees there’s a ceiling maybe on what you can do.”
After Stidham took the first start and played two drives in Denver's first preseason action against Indianapolis on Sunday, Nix led four scoring drives. Wilson cleaned up the final quarter and a half.
Payton liked what he saw from the rookie quarterback in his first real NFL action.
“His decision-making was good,” Payton said on Wednesday of Nix. “I felt he was comfortable in the pocket. I thought his locations were good. The number one thing to do at quarterback is lead your team and we scored. There’s two plays where I think he can set his feet. He’s kind of backing up a little and we can clean that up, but I liked the production with his group while he was in there. Ultimately that’s their job. The whole group as a whole -- and I’m talking the three of them [quarterbacks] -- we didn’t have any sacks. There were a lot of positives.”
The battle for the Week 1 gig is essentially down to Nix and Stidham. After Stidham got the starter reps last week, Nix will get the first shot against the Packers this week. Payton declined to say whether he’d like to have a decision made on the opening-day starter before the third game of the preseason.