ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix won’t play in the team’s preseason opener at Atlanta on Friday, but head coach Sean Payton said the third-year passer is “right where we were hoping he’d be” in his return from offseason ankle surgery.Nix will play in each of Denver’s remaining two preseason games following the opener, Payton said Wednesday, beginning with an Aug. 21 home matchup with the Green Bay Packers. Backups Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger will each play a half against the Falcons.“If we were playing a (regular-season) game, and you guys have watched practice, he wants to play,” Payton said. “He’ll play the next two weeks. I think that was something that was probably already decided maybe, like, a month ago. If we were playing a (regular-season) game, he’d play, and I’d say — you’d have to ask him — be 100 percent.”Jaylen Waddle's splashy start in DenverNick KosmiderNix suffered a broken ankle at the end of a divisional-round playoff win against the Buffalo Bills and missed the AFC Championship Game, a 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots that came with Stidham at quarterback. Nix had surgery days after the injury in late January and then had a second procedure to remove bone spurs in April. Nix was a limited participant during the team’s offseason program, but he has taken every rep with the first-team offense during practice.Payton said there has been no difference in Nix’s workload compared to last season. The 2024 first-round pick played in the first two of Denver’s preseason games last season before sitting out the third, so his work in those contests will be similar, even though the order of his appearances will be different.“A week and a half ago — because I get asked, not about his health but, ‘Is he still able to …’ — and there was a play where he moved and hit Pat (Bryant) that was a real good sign,” Payton said. “It was a real good throw, and so he’s doing well. I’m sure there’s scar tissue in certain parts of it, but he’s right where we were hoping he’d be.”The rest of Denver’s available starters will be on the field for about 15 plays, Payton said. The Broncos are dealing with several injuries, particularly on offense, and Payton said players who are rehabbing will not make the trip to Atlanta. The team’s top two centers, Luke Wattenberg and Alex Forsyth, worked on a side field Wednesday. The third center in camp, Michael Deiter, suffered a quad injury that will require season-ending surgery, Payton said.The Broncos will also likely be without receivers Jaylen Waddle and Marvin Mims, who have been working on a side field this week as they recover from soft-tissue injuries.Aug 12, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms