Zach Wilson discusses harsh Broncos reality amid Bo Nix hype

While the Denver Broncos' first unofficial depth chart of the summer suggested that former New York Jets flop Zach Wilson could emerge as the winner of a summer competition for the team's starting quarterback job, he worked with the third-team offense in recent practices behind rookie Bo Nix and journeyman Jarrett Stidham.

Wilson spoke with reporters on Wednesday about what appears to be a harsh reality regarding his situation heading into Denver's preseason opener at the Indianapolis Colts this coming Sunday afternoon.

"I think when you really sit down and think about it, I've got no control over that," Wilson explained, as shared by Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' website. "… I think the worst you can do is let it affect you, so the best you can do is just say, 'OK, I'm going to take what I get and go out there and do the best I can and put my best foot forward and try my best and try to help this team do the best it can getting down the field and complete some passes.' I think that's all you've got to worry about."

Denver acquired Wilson from the Jets shortly before the Broncos made Nix the 12th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Broncos unsurprisingly later declined to pick up the fifth-year option attached to Wilson's rookie contract, meaning he's on track to reach free agency after the upcoming season.

Training camp practices have indicated that Wilson is Denver's third-choice option at the position, but head coach Sean Payton continues to insist he is "not there yet with the quarterback relative to who’s going to be the starter." It's believed Payton won't announce a final decision about his QB1 before Denver finishes its second preseason game, a matchup versus the Green Bay Packers, on Aug. 18.

For now, Wilson is focusing on trying to close the gap in the competition.

"Just go out there and get the ball out of my hands [and] let the playmakers that we have go make some plays," Wilson said about what he hopes to accomplish against the Colts.

As of Thursday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook continued to list Nix as the betting favorite at -200 odds to start over Stidham (+154) and Wilson (+7000) for Denver's Week 1 game at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8. It remains to be seen if Wilson can do anything to leapfrog Nix on the depth chart over the next month.