The Denver Broncos will face the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET in what is the preseason debut for both teams.
One of the big storylines around the game is quarterback health and availability. While the Falcons sift through the Tua Tagovailoa-Michael Penix position battle, Broncos fans may be wondering if their franchise quarterback, Bo Nix, is available. The answer is no, unfortunately.
Is Bo Nix playing tonight? Latest Broncos-Falcons updates
Bo Nix will not suit up for the Broncos on Friday night, but other starters will play 10-15 snaps, per Cody Roark of Mile High Sports.
Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix will not play in Friday's preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons, but other starters will play 10-15 snaps. pic.twitter.com/zZf5TDy54i
— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) August 12, 2026
This is pretty standard operating procedure in the preseason, especially for Week 1. Nix is not injured, but the Broncos don't want to put their QB in harm's way more than is necessary. Nix is expected to play in Weeks 2 and 3 of the preseason, so Denver fans will still get the opportunity to watch their third-year quarterback before the real games start.
Nix won't play in Atlanta, but he did travel with the team and was seen getting some throws in at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this afternoon.
Bo Nix may not be playing in the preseason opener tonight, but that’s not stopping him from getting that work in 👀 pic.twitter.com/yUT5Rl7FfS
— KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (@KOAColorado) August 14, 2026
Broncos QB depth chart for preseason opener vs. Falcons
With Nix on the sidelines, Denver will turn to backups Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger, with the former expected to start on Friday night.
This is doubly disappointing, at least in the short term, as we won't get to see Nix test his connection with new Broncos receiver Jaylen Waddle. That bond has been building all summer in practices, however, and Denver will get to see Nix in future preseason games, too. So there's no reason for concern there.
Position | Name | Career Passing Yards |
|---|---|---|
QB1 | Jarrett Stidham | 1,422 |
QB2 | Sam Ehlinger | 573 |
Out (Rest) | Bo Nix | 7,706 |
In the meantime, Stidham is one of the better backups in the NFL. He has competed earnestly for Denver's QB1 job in the past, with a comparable dual-threat skill set to Nix. He can improvise on broken plays and deliver the football with solid touch and accuracy. That said, he's prone to mistakes under pressure and his arm pales in comparison to higher-end starters, obviously.
Ehlinger, a sixth-round pick by the Colts in 2021, made three starts four years ago. Indy went 0-3 with Ehlinger under center; he completed 63.4 percent of his passes that season with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
When is the Broncos vs. Falcons preseason game?
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- How to watch: FOX 5 Atlanta/9News Denver
- How to stream: NFL+/FuboTV
The Falcons-Broncos preseason opener will air on local television markets and can be streamed out-of-market on NFL+ or the ESPN App. FuboTV is another potential streaming option. It will air at 7 p.m. local time in Atlanta and 5 p.m. local time in Denver.
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