Sean Payton praises all three QBs competing for Broncos' job

sean payton praises all three qbs competing for broncos' job

Sean Payton praises all three QBs competing for Broncos' job

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- As the Denver Broncos closed out their first week of OTAs Thursday, coach Sean Payton was quick to praise all three of his quarterbacks in the competition for the team's starting job, including rookie Bo Nix.

Asked about Nix's progress since the team made him the sixth quarterback selected in the first round in last month's draft (No. 12 overall), Payton said: "Good, he's farther along than most would be. We're talking about a player who's played 61 games [in college]. He's extremely smart. He's picked it up very quickly.''

Payton has been clear Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, who the Broncos acquired in a trade with the New York Jets in the days before the draft, are in a full-scale competition for the starting job. Payton was also quick to compliment the work of all three and just as quick to point out nothing should be read into Nix opening Thursday's practice with the team's offensive starters.

Payton said Stidham worked with the starters more in Tuesday's practice and Wilson worked with the starters in Wednesday's practice.

"We try to split up all the reps,'' Payton said. "There's going to be a time when you read into the reps, I don't think it's early in OTAs. It's kind of the orphan group, they're all orphan dogs. They've come from somewhere, but they're doing good. It's a good room.''

Payton also said: "We go by what we see. We try to get them as many reps as possible. We rotate. We're rotating all of them right now. They're all in a race to learn this system. Man, they're doing well.''

It is Payton's first, and only other, quarterback competition he has overseen as a head coach since 2021. That was Payton's final season as the New Orleans Saints' head coach and the first season after Drew Brees' retirement when Payton said Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill competed for the starting job.

Asked about his general philosophy about playing, and starting, a rookie quarterback like Nix, Payton said much depended on how much the rookie showed he was prepared to play by the time the season started.

Payton and general manager George Paton said Nix's experience and maturity -- given his 61 games in five college seasons at Auburn and Oregon -- were factors in his selection by the team. Nix was the first quarterback the Broncos selected in the first round since Paxton Lynch in 2016 and the Broncos' highest selection of a quarterback in the first round since Jay Cutler, at No. 11 overall, in 2006.

"I think some of it is a byproduct of what you have in the building. If you have a starter in the building then that's the path you go, and sometimes you don't have that luxury, then that's the path you go,'' Payton said. "A lot of it is dependent on the quarterback, his mental makeup.''

OTHER NEWS

19 minutes ago

China to replace Australia's popular giant pandas

19 minutes ago

A shooting at splash pad in Detroit suburb injures 9, including 2 children

21 minutes ago

Jason Kelce Wants His Daughters to ‘Know How Much It Sucks' to Lose

21 minutes ago

Dixon on UW Receivers

21 minutes ago

Who are France's far-right party voters?

23 minutes ago

Gervonta Davis returns to the ring with eighth-round knockout after a year away

27 minutes ago

Fury after police ram terrified runaway cow with their squad car down London street - with cops forced to refer itself to watchdog amid backlash and Home Secretary demanding explanation over 'heavy-handed' incident

28 minutes ago

Where Drag Queens Shop, From Online Markets To Emerging Boutiques

28 minutes ago

‘Only goal was to come out of poverty’: Vijay Sethupathi says he misses his past life as ‘innocent’ young man

28 minutes ago

Depleted Sea Eagles rally to defeat Dragons 30-14

28 minutes ago

Here’s how to invest £60k in a SIPP to target a 7% yield in 2024

28 minutes ago

Rayhan Thomas shoots 67 on ‘Moving Day’ at Korn Ferry Tour in Kansas

28 minutes ago

Chairman Powell is happy with the Federal Reserve's trajectory on rate cuts: Diane Swonk

29 minutes ago

France eye strong start against Austria in pursuit of overdue Euros title

30 minutes ago

US accuses Iran of ignoring Red Sea distress call from vessel hit by Houthi strike

30 minutes ago

Manchester United 'given asking price by Bayern Munich for Matthijs de Ligt' after having £43m offer for Jarrad Branthwaite REJECTED by Everton

30 minutes ago

England's high hopes for Euros glory! Bullish Three Lions fans sing 'Sweet Caroline' in boozy scenes ahead of clash with Serbia TODAY - with 40,000 Brits set to descend on Gelsenkirchen

30 minutes ago

Revealed: Gareth Southgate adds fourth star to his England leadership group... with Kyle Walker and Declan Rice already assisting captain Harry Kane during Euro 2024 campaign

30 minutes ago

12/1 Featured RequestABet on offer for selected Euro 2024 fixtures today - as Denmark take on Slovenia and England battle Serbia in their respective openers

30 minutes ago

King Charles shares sweet throwback footage with the late Prince Philip as he leads tributes on Father's Day

30 minutes ago

Trump challenges Biden to cognitive test, but confuses name of doctor who tested him

33 minutes ago

The lingering England questions that Euro 2024 opener against Serbia will answer

33 minutes ago

Luka Modric, the problem with ageing, and the worst day for Croatia’s best generation

34 minutes ago

Your cheap Netgear router might have some serious security flaws — here's what we know so far

34 minutes ago

Canoe star Jessica Fox completes golden half-century

34 minutes ago

Alan Titchmarsh wife’s health warning as green-fingered star banned from huge TV show

34 minutes ago

“I wanted to switch from Strats”: Vito Bratta on why he made the leap to his iconic ’88 Steinberger GM2T

34 minutes ago

Beth Gibbons review – an unapologetically intense triumph

34 minutes ago

Labour sends activists to 13 seats where it fears losing Muslim voters over Gaza

34 minutes ago

Prestigious Dulwich Prep whose former pupils include BBC's John Simpson drops use of tribe names over fears of 'cultural appropriation'

38 minutes ago

Moment father and son rescued from overturned yacht as search continues

38 minutes ago

Buy Buy Home: The Perth houses for sale you must know about in City Beach, Kensington and Innaloo

41 minutes ago

How the Dan Hurley failure proved Lakers are the Cowboys | The Herd

41 minutes ago

Here’s where I think the National Grid share price will end 2024

41 minutes ago

Dragons implode in 'memorable' Sea Eagles triumph

41 minutes ago

Yamal and Pedri shine as Spain beat Croatia in Euro 2024 opener

41 minutes ago

EU states won't be directly involved in $50 billion loan for Ukraine, Italian PM says

41 minutes ago

This explosive UK stock has hiked dividends by 14.6% a year for a decade. Time to buy?

41 minutes ago

Is Jayson Tatum a Top 10 Celtic of all time? | The Carton Show

41 minutes ago

Austin Hill takes the green flag at Iowa