ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Quarterback Jarrett Stidham will lead the Broncos' offense onto the field in Indianapolis.
Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton announced Friday that Stidham would start the Broncos' preseason opener against the Colts.
"I just think, right now, certainly he's been here," said Payton on why Stidham earned the start. "His experience."
Payton said he expects the Broncos' starting units to play 15-20 snaps. Rookie Bo Nix will then take the field, followed by Zach Wilson.
"We'll play three phases," Payton said. "It's pretty common. We'll pay attention to really more of the plays than quarters. The first phase will be somewhere between 15 and 20 [plays], ideally. Stidham will start in Phase 1. Nix will be in Phase 2. And then Zach will be in Phase 3. Nix might get the final series in Phase 1. We've just got to see where we're at rep-wise."
Payton said whether Nix plays with the first-team offense will "really depends on how the game unfolds" in Indianapolis.
"We could be in Phase 2 on defense and still be in Phase 1 on offense because of the pitch count," Payton said. "We've just got to see where we're at."
Nix will start the Broncos' Week 2 preseason game against the Packers, per Payton.
"Next week, it'll be Nix," Payton said. "But we're focused on this game."
