Bo Nix to become first rookie starting QB for Broncos in 41 years

Rookie quarterback Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos will start in their National Football League (NFL) season opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, on September 8, head coach Sean Payton announced on Wednesday.

The last rookie signal-caller to start in the Denver's first regular season game was John Elway in 1983. The team legend was acquired by the Broncos in a trade one week after being drafted by the Baltimore Coilts with the first overall pick and spent his whole 16-season career in Denver.

The nine-time Pro Bowler, three-time Second Team All-Pro selection and 1992 NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) helped the Broncos win Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII, and was named Super Bowl MVP after their second straight championship victory in January 1999.

"Obviously, that's great to share with such a great player as John Elway," Nix said. "You just want to go out there and get the first win, ultimately compete at a high level and give your team the best chance to win."

Nix was selected by Denver with the 12th pick in this year's NFL Draft. He played for Auburn University and the University of Oregon in college, completing 1,286 of his 1,936 passes for 15,351 yards and 113 touchdowns with 26 interceptions in 61 games over five years.

"We're not in a hurry to arrive at those type of decisions, we want to see it," Payton said. "He's been outstanding. Obviously there's a ton of room for growth, a lot of things he needs to work on, but there is a maturity level with him."

This won't be the first time for Payton to start a rookie quarterback as he did the same with Ian Book at the New Orleans Saints in 2021. In the veteran coach's first season with the Broncos in 2023, the team finished with eight wins and nine defeats, failing to reach the playoffs for the eighth straight time since winning Super Bowl 50 in February 2016.