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DENVER – Take your time announcing your quarterback, Sean Payton. It's just a formality at this point.

Rookie Bo Nix will start at quarterback for the Denver Broncos when they face the Seattle Seahawks in their regular-season opener on Sept. 8. There's no other conclusion after Nix capped his two-week practice surge with a near-perfect performance in Sunday's 27-2 preseason win over the Green Bay Packers. Payton, the Broncos' second-year head coach, has no other choice.

“Look, he played well,” Payton said of Nix. “I'm not going to announce a starting quarterback tonight. I'll let you know. I obviously thought he was good.”

Nix completed 8 of 9 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. He ran three times for another 12 yards. His night was over after he threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Tim Patrick at the end of the second quarter. The throw, a quickly decided pass on the run after a play-action fake, came at the end of Nix's seventh preseason drive. The rookie led the Broncos to points on six of those drives (three touchdowns, three field goals), all of which started on Denver's side of the field. The only drive that didn't end in a point was a one-play possession last week in Indianapolis that was torpedoed after tight end Lucas Krull dropped the ball after catching a pass from Nix.

“You can feel how comfortable he is as he continues to get used to the calls coming in,” Payton said. “You can feel his poise when he's in there. … He's done a great job of processing the things that go into the game plan.”

This competition was always more about Nix's development than what Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson could do during a training camp. Nix was selected 12th in April's NFL Draft. It was the highest pick Denver has made on a quarterback since Jay Cutler was selected No. 11 in 2006. Nix is ​​the first quarterback a Payton-led team has selected in the first round. It was a once-in-a-lifetime investment for the team and coach. The only question was whether Nix would be ready to take over the starting job and everything that comes with it in Payton's offense when the season began.

Don't be surprised anymore. Nothing looks ready.