Finally, Bo Nix named starter. He earned it

Grab the popcorn and the Chex Nix. Pull up a chair. It’s time to enjoy the party.

Bo Nix is the starting quarterback for the Broncos. Finally, coach Sean Payton made official what his eyes have been telling him for weeks. Nix will become the first Broncos rookie quarterback to start a season opener since John Elway in 1983.

That guy became the greatest player in franchise history. No pressure or anything.

In reality, this is different. Elway was considered one of the best draft prospects of all time. Reporters greeted his arrival in Denver at the airport, and helicopters followed him to the team’s headquarters. He was charged with winning the Broncos’ first Super Bowl, an expectation he met twice in his final two seasons.

The onus on Nix is to help the Broncos return to relevance. Denver hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015, an ugly stain that includes seven straight losing seasons, the longest stretch since 1963-72. During this time, Denver has been a clown car at the game’s most important position. There have been 13 starting quarterbacks. Two posted winning records, and only one reached 20 touchdown passes in a season. That was Russell Wilson last season. But once Payton benched him with two weeks remaining in 2023, the focus shifted to the draft. Nix is the present. And the future.

Payton identified the fit 16 throws into Nix’s private workout for the Broncos in March. What he saw cognitively in his college film, he saw athletically in person. Nix was smarter than expected. He was bigger than they thought. And the ball came out quickly, a necessary component to avoid sacks and run a timing passing attack.

And the best part for a coach who preaches accountability and culture is that Nix wasn’t given anything. He wasn’t a teacher’s pet. There were no cuts in line. He shared equal reps with Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson — I expect them both to make the 53-man roster — and won the competition.

“And that is part of the process we are all talking about. Everything in this league is earned,” Payton said. “The minute someone gets something not earned, it can affect the whole locker room. It really can.”

Talking to players publicly and privately, it’s clear they all knew after the first preseason game where this decision was headed. Nix made plays in a clean and dirty pocket and used his legs on zone reads and run-pass option concepts. Then, he aced his first home test, going 8 for 9 with a touchdown against the Packers, extending how well he played against their starters in Friday’s scrimmage.

Nix answered all the questions, including with a nervy two-minute drill. He has produced 30 points in seven drives this preseason, the lone blemish when tight end Lucas Krull fumbled after a completion.

Nix is ready. He is 24, having started at quarterback every game since the middle of eighth grade. His experience and maturity make waiting unnecessary. He is not overwhelmed mentally, which would have been an argument to exercise patience.

Nix is confident and humble, a rare combination for college stars who have grown up in the spotlight and had their egos filled with helium by family and friends since they left diapers.

“I put a lot of good things on film in the game and on the practice field. I am super excited,” Nix said. “I want to do what I can for the team. You want to go out there and get the first win and compete at a high level.”

There has been buzz about previous Broncos quarterbacks, and it was quickly followed by kill. Russell Wilson’s arrival was expected to put the Broncos on course. Instead, he and coach Nathaniel Hackett rocketed the team into the side of a cliff, Evel Knievel style.

Nix feels right because he represents a blueprint the Broncos should have followed after the 2017 season. This time around, they hired a proven coach, no more first-timers on training wheels. They shed veterans. And they drafted a quarterback for Payton’s system.

“This doesn’t guarantee anything,” reminded Payton of Nix and his team, never missing a chance to send a message.