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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The Denver Broncos are in the market for a running back.
Just two days after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Denver wants to have the running back position addressed before the draft, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported that the Broncos are “poised to make a splash” at running back during NFL free agency.
“Denver is the reason why the Jets used the franchise tag on Breece Hall rather than the transition tag, according to sources, making sure Denver wouldn’t get the opportunity to put together an offer the Jets would refuse to match,” Jones wrote for CBS Sports.
Jones said the Broncos would be an obvious potential landing spot for Kenneth Walker, and he noted that Travis Etienne could be a cheaper alternative. The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider also reported this week that Denver is expected to “closely examine” the RB market, and he name-dropped Walker, Etienne and Rico Dowdle.
The Broncos also have an in-house free agent at RB in J.K. Dobbins, who has expressed his desire to remain in Denver. The Broncos can begin negotiating with pending free agents from other clubs on March 9, but no deals can become official until the new league year begins on March 11. In-house free agents can be re-signed at any time.
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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — The Class 5A Sweet 16 has arrived, and both Grand Junction and Palisade are still standing with trips to the Great Eight in Denver on the line.
At The Jungle, the No. 2 seed Grand Junction Tigers set the tone early against No. 18 Golden. Defense carried the Tigers from the opening tip as they held the Demons to nine first quarter points while scoring 16 of their own.
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Grand Junction added eight points in the second quarter while Golden managed six, sending the Tigers into halftime with a nine point lead.
Golden responded in the third quarter, outscoring Grand Junction 16 to 11 to cut the deficit to five entering the fourth. The Tigers answered in the final period, attacking the rim and converting key shots to win the quarter 19 to 10. Grand Junction secured a 54 to 41 victory to protect its home court and advance to the Great Eight in Denver.
Top seeded Palisade also defended its home floor with a trip to Denver at stake. The Bulldogs opened with nine straight points to energize a packed gym, but Frederick settled in and closed the first quarter on a run to tie the game at nine.
Frederick continued to respond in the second quarter and took an eight point lead into halftime.
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Palisade shifted momentum after the break. The Bulldogs tightened defensively, holding Frederick to 21 points in the second half while scoring 39 of their own. Palisade completed the comeback to advance to the Great Eight.
Colorado Mesa University Women Deliver Historic RMAC Tournament Win
In collegiate action, the top seeded Colorado Mesa University women’s basketball team defeated Colorado School of Mines 96 to 51 in the RMAC Tournament, marking the largest margin of victory in the tournament this century.
Olivia Reed-Thyne led the Mavericks with 34 points on 11 of 15 shooting, her third 30 point performance this season. Mason Rowland added 22 points and Hallie Clark contributed 10 as Colorado Mesa matched a program record with its 31st win. The Mavericks will host the semifinals Friday with a berth in the championship game at stake.
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Colorado Mesa University Men Survive Overtime Thriller
The Colorado Mesa University men’s basketball team faced New Mexico Highlands University for the third time this season. The Mavericks scored 36 first half points and led by four at the break.
New Mexico Highlands shot 50 percent in the second half, received 21 bench points and outscored Colorado Mesa 43 to 39 to force a late push. With the season in the balance, Ty Allred hit a game tying 3 pointer to make it 75 and send the game to overtime. Allred scored seven points in the extra period as Colorado Mesa earned a 91 to 90 victory to advance to the next round.
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