An Auburn football alum not named Bo Nix starting for Broncos in first preseason game

Bo Nix won't be starting for the Denver Broncos during their preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts on August 11. Instead, it'll be another signal-calling Auburn football alum: Jarrett Stidham.

Per NFL Network's James Palmer, Stidham will be QB1 in Indy while Nix will be first off the bench and Zach Wilson will be the third-string.

Notably, Nix will get the start during the second game.

Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham the only possible starters for Broncos in 2024

At this point, Wilson is all but completely out of the Broncos' QB competition. It may not be long until he's out of the NFL entirely. Things have been only an uphill narrative and on-field climb for Wilson since being drafted by the NY Jets in 2021.

Stidham is the safer option, while Nix is the go-for-broke one for Sean Payton and Co. Given the risks of throwing Nix into the fire too soon, Payton likely wants to see the 2023 Heisman Finalist grab the brass ring and not just fall into the job.

That makes the preseason an important one for Denver. Few teams in the league have more to figure out given the Broncos' roster turnover at offensive skill positions. Troy Franklin, Nix's top weapon at Oregon, and running backs Tyler Badie and Audric Estime can find themselves in big roles.

Which makes one wonder if it behooves Payton to hand the reins to the newbies and allow them to take over the team regardless of how the preseason goes. Payton walked into a high-priced mess of a roster that was never going to click with the way Russell Wilson did things, so he could have carte blanche to instill the guys he hand-picked during the 2024 NFL draft.

Nix is someone Payton has gassed up as his top QB pick regardless of draft slot. He's Payton's guy through and through. He's still the likeliest starter for Denver Sundays this Fall.