ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Bo Nix knows he didn’t play a perfect game on Sunday.
“You get back and you see that there were opportunities and [you] just [have to] capitalize on a few more areas,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Nix, the 12th overall pick in April’s draft, became the first rookie quarterback to start Week 1 for the Denver Broncos since John Elway, when he made his debut in Seattle.
The rookie finished 26-for-42 with 138 yards and a pair of interceptions. The numbers were rough and their fairly indicative of Nix’s performance.
But the 24-year-old found positives in his performance. A 25-yard pass to Josh Reynolds up the sideline gave the Broncos three points before halftime. A couple of sharp throws in the fourth quarter gave the Broncos life in the final minutes.
“Those moments were critical in the game. They provided points and big opportunities,” Nix said. “We just have to find more ways to do that the rest of the time.”
Nix produced as a runner, too. During his long run of the day, a 23-yarder, Nix surpassed 20 miles per hour. He was the fastest non-wideout ball carrier of Week 1.
“I think it’s a strength and it can be used at the right times,” Nix said of his athleticism.
Rookie’s rarely shine in their debut. Elway, for example, was benched in his first game.
Despite the results, Nix laid the foundation for his rookie campaign.
“It was a great game of learning, a great growing game,” he said.
Veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton was encouraged by what he saw from the rookie.
“The outcome wasn’t what we wanted, but in terms of the way he came in and handled his very first game in a hostile environment, there’s a lot of hope and promise moving forward,” Sutton said.
After the game, Sutton pulled Nix aside. He told the rookie not to dwell on the loss.
“Yes it’s frustrating to lose, but the same way people say you have 24 hours to celebrate a win, you have 24 hours to get over a loss,” he said. “You have to go in and watch the film, learn from your mistakes and put it to bed.”
With the Seattle game put to bed, the Broncos will turn their sights to the Pittsburgh Steelers this week.
Pittsburgh is fresh off a grimy 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The Steelers ran the ball nearly twice as many times as they through it. Their defense was physical. If Pittsburgh gets its way, the game will be decided by a brawl in the trenches.
“It’s definitely a challenge,” Nix said. “They have great players. They’ve been a great defense for a long time. I [have] a lot of respect for them. [It’s] going to be fun playing them for the first time and seeing what it’s like.”
Injury Report
After a perfectly clean injury report last week, the Broncos are banged up after their season opener.
The big news: rookie running back Audric Estime is headed to injured reserve with an ankle injury. He’ll be out for at least the next four games.
On the Pittsburgh side, the big question is at quarterback. The Steelers are preparing for Justin Fields to receive a second start, but they aren’t ruling Russell Wilson out quite yet.
“Over the course of the week, we’ll be analyzing whether he’s capable of protecting himself, whether he’s capable of being productive,” head coach Mike Tomlin said. “When we get to those points, that’s when we’ll ponder his inclusion or not.”
Here’s the initial injury report for the Broncos and Steelers…
Broncos
| Player | Pos. | Injury | Wed. | Thu. | Fri. | Status |
| Garett Bolles | T | Calf | DNP | |||
| Josh Reynolds | WR | Achilles | DNP | |||
| Devaughn Vele | WR | Ribs | DNP | |||
| Luke Wattenberg | C | Ankle | DNP | |||
| Jonah Elliss | OLB | Knee | Limited |
Steelers
| Player | Pos. | Injury | Wed. | Thu. | Fri. | Status |
| Dan Moore Jr. | T | Ankle | DNP | |||
| Isaac Seumalo | G | Pectoral | DNP | |||
| Larry Ogunjobi | DL | Knee | Limited | |||
| Roman Wilson | WR | Ankle | Limited | |||
| Russell Wilson | QB | Calf | Limited | |||
| Darius Rush | CB | Concussion | Limited |
| BOLD – Indicates change in status; NIR- Indicates not injury related; *– Team did not practice / report is an estimation; |
| STATUS DEFINITIONS: Did not participate (DNP); Limited: means less than 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions; Full—100 percent of player’s normal repetitions; Out: will not play; Doubtful: Unlikely to play; Questionable: Uncertain to play |
Notes
- The Broncos signed fullback Michael Burton from their practice squad. He take’s Estime’s place on the roster.
The Broncos signed wide receiver Kaden Davis to the practice squad on Wednesday. Davis will take Burton’s place on the practice squad. He spent the 2022 season on the Broncos’ practice squad. He was with the Cardinals in 2023 and the Lions during this year’s training camp.
- The Broncos opened as three-point underdogs against the Steelers. The 36.5-point total is the lowest in the NFL.