Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton has yet to name Denver’s starting quarterback, but all signs point to a decision coming soon.

Kay Adams sat down with Payton on Aug. 14 as part of a summer tour across NFL training camps. Their conversation centered around No. 12 overall pick and former Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix.

When Adams pushed Payton for an update on the quarterback competition, he said, “It’ll be sooner than later, relative to how these guys finish out this next preseason game.”

Broncos and Ducks fans are hoping to see Nix succeed, and Payton delivered a positive update.

“He’s playing well. Now there are a few things in the game that we’ve got to clean up, and I’m encouraged with how he’s playing,” said Payton on Nix.

In his preseason debut, Nix showed off both his passing and running abilities. Finishing with a passer rating of 102.8, Nix threw for 125 yards with one touchdown and zero turnovers. While Nix has certainly impressed the Broncos with his on-field abilities, Ducks fans are not surprised to hear that his maturity and leadership have also shone.

Payton said, “With Bo, you feel a more experienced player. You don’t feel a true rookie.”

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson has one more season of eligibility at Oregon before he hopes to hear his name called in the 2025 NFL draft. In the meantime, he certainly does not lack confidence for his adopted brother Nix and the Broncos.

“Whatever team Bo goes to, they’re going to have success. That’s no doubt. He’s the best guy in the NFL. The guy is unbelievable,” Johnson told Oregon Sports Illustrated’s Bri Amaranthus.

Regardless of Payton’s decision on the starter, Nix has certainly left an impression on his coach, from the pre-draft process until now.

“We went on the field, and he threw probably about 80 passes. I think during that period is when I turned to George [Paton] and said, ‘This is the guy,’” said Payton.

During his final season as the Ducks signal caller, Nix received criticisms for a lack of downfield passes under offensive coordinator Will Stein’s system. Another narrative about Nix’s NFL potential revolved around his older age when compared to the other quarterbacks in the 2024 class.

“I’m unconcerned with that. We’ve seen some of the best quarterbacks to ever play our game have their best years into their 30’s. It was more about getting [the pick] right. . . . And look, you can take an experienced quarterback who’s had 61 starts, who’s mature. That may not be good enough. We saw ‘really really good’ when we evaluated him,” said Payton

After the selecting Nix at No. 12 overall, Payton told his famous story from the 2017 NFL draft. Coaching for the New Orleans Saints at the time, Payton had plans to draft Patrick Mahomes with the No. 11 pick in the first round. However, the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to No. 10 and selected Mahomes before Payton had his opportunity.

Clearly enthusiastic about Nix’s overall ability as a football player, Adams asked Payton if he found his next Mahomes in Nix.

Payton said, “That’s a tough one for anyone, but I think we found a really talented player who’s doing the same things that we want to see that we saw on college tape. The ball comes out fast, it’s hard to sack him. He didn’t have a fumble at Oregon.”

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