The Broncos drafted quarterback Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick thinking he’s their quarterback of the future, but he may already be their quarterback of the present as well.
Nix is the betting favorite to take the first snap for the Broncos in their Week One game against the Seahawks.
In the three-way quarterback competition in Denver, Nix is a -400 favorite at DraftKings.com. New arrival Zach Wilson is a +450 underdog, while Jarrett Stidham, who started the final two games of last season for the Broncos, is the long shot at +650.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton said near the end of the offseason program that all three quarterbacks are competing for the job and getting a chance to work with the first-string offense, and that Payton has no deadline to pick a starter other than before the first game.
If Nix looks good in training camp and the preseason, the job is likely his. Wilson or Stidham getting the job would be an upset.
Quarterback Russell Wilson’s two years in Denver were a dud and some of his former teammates will get a chance to try to make sure his move to Pittsburgh gets off to an unsuccessful start this season.
The Steelers will be in Denver in Week Two of the regular season and Wilson, who is currently slotted at No. 1 on the Steelers depth chart, facing his former team will be the central storyline heading into that matchup. During an appearance on Denver Sports 104.3, Broncos linebacker Jonas Griffith said that he’s looking forward to the chance to spoil Wilson’s return to the Mile High City.
“I’m really excited obviously for any game I get to play in,” Griffith said. “But you see that one you’re excited to go out there and — beat the Steelers, first of all, it’s a great organization. I want to pick off Russ, for sure. I think that would be really cool, just to pick him off and get the victory, first and foremost.”
Griffith was asked by host and former Bronco running back Philip Lindsay if he’ll say “let’s ride” to his former teammate if he gets a sack. Griffith laughed while answering in the negative, but the Broncos are sure to be taking that home game a little more seriously due to their relationship with the opposing quarterback.
The Broncos will have 16 free open practices this summer, the team announced Tuesday.
The practices, which are held at Broncos Park, include free parking.
The 16 open practices are four more than a year ago and are tied for the third-most among teams that have announced their training camp schedules.
Denver’s first open practice is scheduled for Friday, July 26, before the team hosts Back Together Weekend on Saturday, July 27.
The Broncos also announced they will host a joint practice with the Packers on Friday, Aug. 16. Denver previously revealed it would host the Packers for the practice ahead of their Aug. 18 preseason matchup at Empower Field at Mile High.
The team will release the entire training camp practice schedule on Wednesday.
Season ticket members can reserve four complimentary mobile tickets per practice through their account beginning on Wednesday, while the general public can claim their free tickets on Ticketmaster.com starting Thursday at 10 a.m. MT.
Free tickets are required for entry, and fans can reserve tickets for up to eight practices during the first 48 hours of availability.
In 2023, more than 25,000 fans attended Broncos training camp.
For more information, visit denverbroncos.com.
The Broncos signed free agent pass rusher Dondrea Tillman on Thursday after he passed his physical. Tillman, 26, played for the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League this spring.
The team had to make a corresponding move to make room for Tillman’s arrival, and to that end, the Broncos waived rookie linebacker Alec Mock.
Mock signed as an undrafted free agent out of Air Force.
Mock started games in four consecutive seasons for the Falcons. He was a second-team All-Mountain West selection in 2023 when he led the team with 93 total tackles, including 53 solo stops.
Former Stanford coach David Shaw interviewed for the Broncos’ head-coaching job in early 2023. He has now been hired by the team.
But not as a coach.
Mike Klis of 9News.com reports that G.M. George Paton has hired Shaw “as a senior personnel executive.”
It’s an abrupt turn for Shaw, 51, who has more than 25 years as a coach at the NFL and college level.
Shaw has an existing connection to ownership via Broncos limited partner Condoleezza Rice. She was at Stanford during Shaw’s time there, and she helped him close the deal with some of his recruits.
The hire raises obvious questions about where it could lead. Klis specifically pointed out that Paton hired Shaw, with no reference to head coach Sean Payton. Also, Klis himself reported in early 2023 that Shaw was a “sleeper” to be hired.
Could Shaw be Payton’s successor? Could Shaw provide a viable option as interim coach, if the Broncos ever decide during a given season to make a change?
From Payton’s perspective, here’s another important question. Where will Shaw be during the games? Football coaches have a natural (and understandable) sensitivity to the folks who might be whispering coaching-decision criticisms to owners during games. Shaw, if he’s with Rice or primary owner Greg Penner, could be in position to do that, even if he’s simply answering questions from them and not affirmatively trying to stir the pot.
Shaw also could be asked questions by Rice or Penner at any time about in-game and bigger-picture coaching issues.
It therefore will be key for Payton and Shaw, who were together on the Eagles’ staff in 1997, to be on the same page. Again, the fact that Paton — and not Payton — made the hire will create fair speculation as to what this all means, and where it all could lead.