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Jeff Legwold, ESPN Senior Writer
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix has already reached another franchise milestone as he approaches his first regular-season start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks in Lumen Field.
Nix, who will be Sean Payton’s first rookie quarterback to start a season opener in his long tenure as a head coach as well as the first rookie quarterback to start the Broncos’ opener since John Elway in 1983, was voted as one of the Broncos’ captains for the season. And with that Nix will be the first Broncos rookie to be a team captain since Hall of Famer Floyd Little in 1967.
Little was dubbed “the Franchise” in his career with the team.
“[It’s] something you earn,” Payton said. ” … It’s unusual for a rookie to be named a captain … [A] first for me, just say rookie period in fairness to the process … It’s a credit to him and I think his teammates felt that he belonged in that position.”
Nix, wide receiver Courtland Sutton, guard Quinn Meinerz, cornerback Pat Surtain II, linebacker Alex Singleton and kicker Wil Lutz will be the team’s captains for the season.
The Broncos selected Nix with the No. 12 pick of April’s draft and as the sixth quarterback selected overall in the record-setting opening round. He won an offseason and training camp competition for the job over Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson.
Payton officially named Nix the starter just days before the preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals.
“It’s a privilege, an honor to be with this group,” Nix said. ” … I don’t take it lightly. I know it’s a big deal, hasn’t happened often, but I don’t take it for granted. I’ve got to come to work every single day and just prove you can be the captain.”
Sutton said it “was exciting to see the genuine joy” of the first-time captains like Nix, Meinerz and Surtain, when it was announced at a team dinner.
“He’s very mature, he’s had a lot of games to put under his belt from college,” Sutton said of Nix. ” … I think he’s going to continue to put the work in. … He comes to work every day with the demeanor of getting better. … He’s got the C on his chest, he carries himself like that, he carries himself like a leader.”
Nix was 23-of-30 passing (76.7%) for 205 yards and two touchdowns in two preseason appearances combined. He was not sacked in those two games, did not throw an interception and the Broncos scored on six of the seven possessions he played in the preseason.