Broncos reverse course with Bo Nix, who ‘probably won’t play’ in preseason finale

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — It appears the next time Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix takes the field will be under the bright lights of “Monday Night Football.”

Nix “probably won’t play” in Friday’s preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings, Broncos coach Sean Payton said Wednesday, the final dress rehearsal before the Broncos open up a season of grand expectations on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 14.

Nix sat out the preseason opener in Atlanta on Aug. 14 and then played 15 snaps in last week’s game against the Packers. The 2024 first-round pick, who had two surgeries this offseason on the right ankle that was fractured at the end of a playoff win against the Buffalo Bills, completed 6 of 9 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown and led Denver to 10 points in his two series of work against Green Bay.

Payton hinted that he had seen all he needed to see from Nix when he said during a halftime interview Friday that the quarterback looked “ready for Week 1.”

Not playing Nix against the Vikings on Friday would be a change of course from the plan Payton initially laid out this month. After announcing that Nix wouldn’t play in the preseason opener, the coach said the team’s starting quarterback would see the field in both of Denver’s other exhibition contests. Nix said after Friday’s game, though, that he would feel comfortable entering the season with only one preseason game’s worth of preparation.

“I’ve played a lot of football,” he said when asked about the possibility of sitting out the preseason finale.

Nix played in two preseason games during each of his first two seasons. Though it appears he will play in only one this preseason, he took every rep for the Broncos’ first-team offense during training camp practices and showed no signs that the injury he suffered in late January will impact his mobility.

Linebacker Alex Singleton, who has been on the team throughout Nix’s career, said the quarterback was a more challenging counterpart to face in his third training camp.

“You would think he’s been here for a decade,” Singleton said. “He’s playing out of his mind, in my opinion. … The way he’s developed, he takes another step or two every offseason, and he’s done that again this year.”

Nix sitting out would mean the quarterback snaps on Friday would go to Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger. Though Stidham has been the first up among the two backups in preseason games and most training camp practices, Payton said Wednesday he wasn’t ready to say which player would be Nix’s backup.

In other roster news, the Broncos released Taylor Rapp on Wednesday, less than a week after signing the former Los Angeles Rams and Bills safety. Payton said Rapp is dealing with a personal matter but added there was a “better than good chance” the player could rejoin Denver’s roster at a later date.

“(He) came in, spent some time with him. He needs a little time at home,” Payton said. “Completely get what he’s needing. There’s a better than good chance … I know how he felt being here. Sooner than later, that’s going to happen. This, obviously, took precedence, and we’ll just leave it at that.”