Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton met with the media today ahead of their preseason opener Friday night vs. the Atlanta Falcons and announced that quarterback Bo Nix will NOT play in that game.
Don’t worry, Broncos County: Nix
is healthy; they do not want his first game back from ankle surgery to be on the turf inside the dome in Atlanta. Instead, Nix will play in the following two preseason games, which will be at home on a natural grass field in Mile High.
This is the smart move and the right move for Nix and the Broncos. He has proven he is healthy throughout camp, where he has practiced fully since Day 1 without limitations and has been moving around well. No reason to risk any potential setbacks or wear and tear on that ankle in a meaningless game. Payton also announced that starters who are not healthy enough to play will stay back in Denver to continue to receive treatment, but that Nix, due to being healthy, will not be part of that group and will travel to Atlanta with the team. W
With Nix not playing in the preseason opener, the spotlight gets moved to the potential QB2 battle brewing in Denver between Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger. While there is no official battle happening per Payton, both players have been splitting reps with the second-team offense throughout camp, so it will be interesting to see how they perform. I would assume Stidham will get the start and play the entire first half of the game, while Ehlinger will get the entire second half. We will have to see if that flips a little bit the following week, but how each of them performs will be something to watch in this one.
Again, I think this is the correct move by the Broncos. No reason to even risk it. Wait until you’re at home and on your own natural field and let Nix go out there and perform. It also allows Payton and his staff to evaluate the backups even more and allow them to get more tape out there for any potential transactions down the road.
