ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Bo Nix has earned quite the opportunity to make a first impression.

The 2024 12th-overall pick is slated to start the Broncos' season opener against the Seahawks, and he'll aim to become the first rookie quarterback since 2018 to earn a Week 1 win.

"You only get your first game one time," Nix said Wednesday, "so you have to go out there and make the most of it."

With a strong performance in training camp and the preseason, Nix earned the Broncos' starting job. Now, he's set to become the first Broncos rookie quarterback since John Elway in 1983 to start the team's season opener.

"I'm excited," Nix said. "Seattle's a good team. They have a good defense returning [and] a lot of good players with a new scheme. It'll be interesting to see what they come out and play [on defense]. I think they're going to be very well coached, and they're going to be talented. It's going to be a hostile environment, but it will be fun. It'll be a good first game."

Nix's connections to some of the franchise's Hall of Famers don't end with Elway. Following a vote by his teammates, Nix also became the Broncos' first rookie season captain since Floyd Little in 1967.

"It's a huge honor and a privilege," Nix said. "I understand that it's been a long time, and I'm just very thankful. [I'm] very thankful for the guys to trust me in this opportunity. I think that's a huge statement for our team. I think it says a lot [about] where we are. We're excited to get going and excited for the future. Definitely it's going to be one of those things that becomes more and more real as time goes on. It's a huge honor and a lot of privilege, but it brings a lot of responsibility, too."

Head Coach Sean Payton said Wednesday that Nix is the first rookie captain he's coached in his career.

"I think it's a credit to him," Payton said, "and I think his teammates felt that he belonged in that position."

Added Courtland Sutton: "He comes to work every day with a demeanor of getting better, and I think that's one of the biggest things that you want out of your quarterback. He's one of those guys that [has] the 'C' on his chest and he carries himself like that. He carries himself like a leader. He doesn't look at any stage as it being too big for him. That's all we can ask for out of our quarterback and out of our leader."

Asked about the belief his teammates have in him, Nix said he believes "that trust is going to carry over into some confidence during game time."

In the preseason, that certainly rang true. During his recent weeks in Denver, Nix has notably shown the ability to rebound from a tough play or series to find success later in a practice or game. In the roller coaster of an NFL game, that trait can be critical — and Nix said that rapid improvement can require both mental and schematic adjustments.

"It could be both," Nix said. "I think you can adjust on the fly if they're doing something different. Sometimes, it's just straight-up execution. Sometimes, you're not executing to the standard that you should be executing at. Other times, it's just some juice and energy. You just have to bring it a little bit better. I think the good teams and the successful teams, they found out whatever it is and they're able to go out there and adjust. So I know you're not going to score on every drive — nobody's ever done it. So you have to adjust and just understand that that's the adversity [and] that's going to be part of it. You move forward trying to find a better way and trying to go down there and score points, whatever it means."

As the Broncos' rookie signal-caller dives into the game plan and prepares to start the team's season opener against the Seahawks, he has also allowed himself a moment to reflect on and appreciate his path to Week 1 as an NFL starter.

"I think each day you have to look into it and find the perspective in life," Nix said. "Not many people get to wake up with this opportunity. Not many people have this opportunity for a long time. So you definitely want to make the most of it and see if you can't make it run for a long time. I do think it's important to stay in the moment. Once the season's finished and you're allowed some time to debrief, you can look back and kind of look at the year, see what you've done, see where you can improve and push forward for more. I feel like so far, we've been able to really keep it in perspective, really understand that life is fleeting, life happens fast, and this is just one of the many joys of the journey."

The next step of the journey begins on Sunday — and Nix will aim to prove he's ready for the challenge.