Coach Sean Payton announced Friday that Stidham will start Sunday's preseason opener against the Colts, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.
Per the report, Bo Nix will play after Stidham gets his reps Sunday, followed by Zach Wilson, with Nix potentially getting in some reps with the first-team offense. DiLalla adds that Nix is slated to start Denver's second preseason contest, against the Packers on Aug. 18. While Stidham's name is atop the Broncos' posted unofficial depth chart, that can be taken with a grain of salt, considering that Nix and the team's other rookie skill players are notably listed at the bottom. What's more relevant is that Stidham and Nix have largely split first-team practice reps since camp training began, according to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. With that in mind, Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post suggests that Nix remains expected to push Stidham for the starting job by Week 1, adding that it would be a moderate surprise if the rookie first-rounder didn't end up getting the nod. For now, however, consider the competition a close one.