Denver, CO
Denver Broncos’ Sean Payton Reveals Timeline For Naming Starting Quarterback As Bo Nix Thrives
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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Denver, CO
‘Thursday Night Football’ vs. Seahawks, Christmas Day vs. Bills highlight Broncos’ standalone matchups in 2026
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos are set to take center stage five times in 2026.
Denver is scheduled to play in five standalone games during its 2026 season, three of which will be contested at Empower Field at Mile High.
The Broncos will open their season with a “Monday Night Football” showdown against the AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs. Last season, Denver swept the Chiefs for the first time since 2014.
This year’s Week 1 matchup will mark the first time since 2022 that Denver will begin its season in prime time. During Head Coach Sean Payton’s tenure, the Broncos have posted a 3-0 record on “Monday Night Football,” including last year’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Broncos will then host their first prime-time game of the year, a “Sunday Night Football” matchup with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3. The Rams posted a 12-5 record in 2025, advancing to the NFC Championship Game.
The Sept. 27 game will mark the Broncos first home “Sunday Night Football” matchup since 2023. Denver is 2-0 in “Sunday Night Football” games under Payton, including a 2025 road victory over the Commanders.
Just three weeks later, Denver will host the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on “Thursday Night Football.” The Seahawks will be led by quarterback Sam Darnold and the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Denver is 1-0 on “Thursday Night Football” at home under Payton and 2-2 overall.
The Broncos will then play their second and final standalone road game, traveling to Pittsburgh for a Black Friday matchup with the Steelers. The Steelers won the AFC North in 2025 and advanced to the postseason for the third straight year. This will be Denver’s first-ever game played on Black Friday.
The Broncos’ final scheduled standalone game is set for Christmas Day. Denver will host the Buffalo Bills, setting up a rematch of last year’s Divisional Round game. The Broncos and Bills have faced each other out of the playoffs in the last two seasons, with the teams splitting the pair of games. The last time the teams faced off in the regular season was in 2023, when the Broncos earned a Monday night road victory.
This will mark the second consecutive year that Denver will play on Christmas. The Broncos are 3-2 all time on Christmas Day, including last year’s victory over the Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The NFL’s flexible scheduling rules could also lead to the Broncos playing additional prime-time games in 2026. The dates of Denver’s Week 17 and 18 games are also yet to be determined.
See below for a complete list of Denver’s standalone games:
Week 1: Broncos at Chiefs, “Monday Night Football,” Sept. 14, 6:15 p.m. MT, ABC/ESPN
Week 3: Broncos vs. Rams, “Sunday Night Football,” Sept. 27, 6:20 p.m. MT, NBC
Week 6: Broncos vs. Seahawks, “Thursday Night Football,” Oct. 15, 6:15 p.m. MT, Prime Video
Week 12: Broncos at Steelers, Black Friday, Nov. 27, 1 p.m. MT, Prime Video
Week 16: Broncos vs. Bills, Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2:30 p.m. MT, Netflix
DENVER (KDVR) – Denver and the Plains will see extra clouds Thursday with isolated storm out east and warm highs along the Front Range.
Weather today: Partly cloudy and warm
Clouds kept temperatures mild this morning and pockets of sunshine through the afternoon help us warm to the middle 80s.
We will be very close to tying a daily record high, but a light northerly breeze should stop us from hitting 87. The Eastern Plains can also see some isolated storms in the afternoon. There are also some Red Flag Warnings in the state, winds will be at 10-20 mph with gusts to 40 mph, avoid any burning or open flames in these areas.
Weather tonight: Lingering clouds
Partly cloudy skies through the day will stick with us tonight. Overnight lows will dip into the low 50s with a lighter wind.
Looking ahead: Cooler weekend with shower chances
Friday rounds out the workweek with partly to mainly sunny skies and comfy highs in the lower 80s. Saturday looks comfy as well with partly cloudy skies, highs in the upper 70s and afternoon storm chances. Sundayis still mild as highs hit the middle 70s, but clouds increase through the day with showers and storms in the evening hours. That rain can linger overnight and into Monday.
Monday has showers through the day and maybe a few flakes in the high country. Highs on Monday will be in the lower 60s with a breeze and cloudy skies. Shower chances linger into Tuesday with below average highs in the lower 60s with cloudy skies. Wednesday has smaller storm chances and a bit more sunshine as seasonal highs make it to the lower 70s.
DENVER (KDVR) — Two Denver police vehicles were hit by separate drivers during a traffic stop last week, according to a social media post from the Denver Police Department.
On May 7, officers responded to a crash on northbound Interstate 25 near the exit for Alameda Avenue.
The officers were parked with their emergency lights on to direct the traffic away from the scene of the crash. Despite the lights being on, two separate vehicles crashed into the officers’ vehicles.
One driver caused minor damage to a Denver police vehicle and was cited for careless driving. The second driver caused extensive damage to a police vehicle and was cited for careless driving, as well as arrested for allegedly driving under the influence during the crash.
Officers were in their vehicles during the incident, with one uninjured and the other taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
“Traffic safety is a shared responsibility! If you come upon flashing lights, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, or disabled vehicles while driving, move over at least one lane or slow down if it’s not safe to move over. And don’t drive under the influence,” said the department in the post.
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