ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos' quarterback competition is headed to Empower Field at Mile High.
Quarterback Bo Nix is scheduled to start Sunday's game against the Packers, and the rookie is eager for the opportunity that comes with his first start.
"Well, I'm excited," Nix said Friday. "I think it's a great opportunity to get out there, get [in] the flow of the game early and get a few drives in. [I'm] excited to roll with those guys and excited to be on the home turf. It's the first one, and it's going to be a good time."
Head Coach Sean Payton reemphasized Friday that following Nix's Phase 1 reps, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson are expected to take Phase 2 and Phase 3 reps, respectively.
"All three of these guys are going to get a ton of work this week and a lot of work against Green Bay," Payton said Wednesday.
A week after Nix completed 15-of-21 passes for 125 yards, a touchdown and a 102.3 quarterback rating against the Colts, he'll look to continue that progress vs. Green Bay. Yet while the first-round pick will make his first start in Denver, he said he's learned that he's at his best when he plays without worrying about the pressure that certain games can bring.
"I learned early in college that the more pressure you put on yourself, the tougher it is to go out there and play free," Nix said. "Over the past couple seasons, I feel like I've played more and more free. That's contributed to the good days. There's enough pressure on you already, so you might as well just go out there and have fun playing the game of football. Not many people get this opportunity, and I'm just blessed to be here and be a part of such a great team and great organization. I still always wake up and be like, 'You know what? I get to go practice for an NFL team today.' So I can't imagine what it is like playing on Sundays yet, but we're almost there."
Sunday's game represents another step toward Denver's Week 1 game against the Seahawks, but Nix said he's not concerned about when to expect a decision about which player will start the season at quarterback.
"You just got to control the things that you can control and worry about," Nix said. "There's a lot of other things on my plate that I got to worry about [other] than that — whether to check a play or kill a play, what shade to run to, what coverage it is or what blitz they're bringing or what protection I'm supposed to be in. So I got to figure out all that before I worry about anything else. So far, I've been able to handle that, control it and things on the field. Whatever happens, happens."
Stidham and Wilson shared similar perspectives Friday when asked how they're approaching the competition, as Stidham said his focus remains on each day he faces.
"It's just kind of the person and player that I am," Stidham said. "I don't really get caught up in what's happening, or what is going to happen or anything like that. I have guys counting on me every single day to come out here and play really well. So I'm really just focused on that, focused on doing my job and helping my guys go down the field and score a lot of points."
Added Wilson: "I have absolutely no control over that. I don't get to pick who goes in at what time and what reps that I get, so all I can focus on is absolutely having fun playing ball, which I have been."
Both Stidham and Wilson will aim to make the most of their reps, and Stidham will replace Nix vs. Green Bay after he started Denver's preseason opener against Indianapolis.
Stidham completed 4-of-7 passes for 37 yards, including completions of 13 yards and 14 yards to Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick, respectively. Penalties and a turnover, though, limited Stidham's ability to lead his team to points. As he approaches another opportunity, scoring points is Stidham's sole objective.
"I just want to go out there and score a lot of points, to be honest," Stidham said. "That's all I really care about."
Wilson, meanwhile, will aim to continue to make strides. He posted a strong joint practice against the Packers, and he threw just three incompletions against Indianapolis as he recorded 117 yards and a 103.7 quarterback rating.
"I think with each day of camp, I'm getting more and more consistent," Wilson said. "I think that comes with just feeling more and more confident in myself and my abilities. … I think I know where I can be, and I'm just going to keep working to get there."
On Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High, each of the Broncos' quarterbacks will look to take the next step in his respective journey — and hopefully help earn a win in the process.
