Bill Belichick offers bold advice to Sean Payton in Bo Nix vs Jarrett Stidham battle for QB1
One of the few quarterback battles going on in the NFL is between rookie Bo Nix and sixth-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham of the Denver Broncos. The team released starting quarterback Russell Wilson after the 2023-24 season, leaving a big question as to who will be their starting quarterback heading into the 2024 season.
The team used its first-round pick to draft quarterback Bo Nix out of Oregon while trading for Zach Wilson in the off-season. Stidham started in Denver's last two games of the 2023 season.
As both Nix and Stidham have played well this pre-season, it's going to be a tough decision for head coach Sean Payton to figure out who will start for the team. Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick joined The Pat McAfee Show on Monday and gave his thoughts on how he would determine who he'd start in Week 1.
Belichick said:
"You go with him (Bo Nix) when you feel like he's ready to go. What you don't want to do is you don't want to put a rookie quarterback in there. Like for example, what I don't think you want to do is put Bo in there and then after three or four games, find out you need to take him out and put Stid back in there and go that way.
"I don't think that would work. I think that just creates a lot of confusion ... If you're sure Bo Nix is the guy, then you go with them, but you don't turn back."
Belichick seems to have a safe, patient approach regarding who he would start. It's become more common for rookie quarterbacks to sit for some time while learning the team's system before they take over as starters.
Sean Payton commends Bo Nix after his impressive performance against the Green Bay Packers
While rookie quarterback Bo Nix has impressed in both of the pre-season games he's played, Sean Payton has yet to name him the team's starter.
Payton said following the Broncos' pre-season win over the Green Bay Packers:
"He's played well. I'm not announcing any starting quarterback tonight. I'll let you guys know when the time comes. I thought he played well."
In his two pre-season games, Nix has completed 23-of-30 passes for 205 yards.
The Broncos will wrap up their pre-season next week by facing the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 25, at 4:30 p.m.