ENGLEWOOD — How much does Bo Nix apparently want to play in the Broncos’ preseason opener Friday?

Just ask tight end Evan Engram.

“It definitely would be great to see him out there,” Engram told The Denver Gazette on Monday about Friday’s opener at Atlanta. “He’s been doing a great job. He’s been looking great. He’s been making a lot of throws. He’s been moving around really well. I know he’s champing at the bit to get going.”

Nix is coming off a broken right ankle suffered January in a divisional playoff win over Buffalo and has had two surgeries. But he has been saying since mandatory minicamp in June that he is fully healthy.

In head coach Sean Payton’s first three Denver seasons, he used his starting quarterback for at least two series in the preseason opener. In 2023, it was Russell Wilson playing the first four series. In 2024, Jarrett Stidham, then No. 1 on the depth chart, started the opener and got two series, and Nix, who eventually won the job as a rookie, then relieved him. And last year, Nix started and played three series.

After Monday’s training camp practice at Broncos Park, Payton said there will be starters who play Friday but that “we haven’t gone through the role yet.” He then was asked if Nix will play.

“I’ll let you know when we go through the roles,” Payton said.

Nix expressed eagerness about the Broncos opening the preseason.

“I’m excited,” he said. “I think preseason’s always a great time to get back out there and get your feet wet a little bit and see defenses in a live situation before the first (regular-season) game.”

But asked if he expects to play Friday, Nix said, “No idea.”

It remains to be seen if the game being played on artificial turf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will factor into whether the Broncos use Nix. That could impact whether Payton decides to use some other notable players.

After Monday’s practice, Payton said the Broncos “have to get a handle on some of the soft tissues” Denver players have injured since the start of training camp two weeks ago. Payton said running back J.K. Dobbins left practice early Monday with a “soft-tissue” injury, but Payton expects he will be “fine.” He said wide receiver Jaylen Waddle suffered “muscle tightness” in practice Wednesday and he has remained out since then.

Regardless of whether Nix plays, the Broncos are expected to use both Stidham and Sam Ehlinger against the Falcons as the two compete for the backup job. Offensive coordinator Davis Webb spoke Saturday of looking forward to seeing the two reserve quarterbacks in the preseason.

Webb, Denver’s quarterbacks coach the past three seasons, will call plays this season after Payton turned that responsibility over to him. Webb said Saturday he is hopeful of being on the sideline rather than in the coaches’ box, and Payton expects that will be the case.

“That’s probably where he’ll be with his communication and the QBs,” Payton said. “It’s an area where I felt comfortable (calling plays) and I think you get the plays in so quickly either from up or down.”

Nix would prefer Webb, a former backup quarterback who talked about all the time he spent watching NFL games from the sideline, calling plays from there.

“I’ve always loved it from a quarterback to a play caller when they’re on the sideline with me,” Nix said. “I feel like they get the feel of the game a little bit differently. … I think they get to feel the emotions on the sideline. They get to feel the comments from us coming off the sideline.”

Nix said he is “really excited” about Webb calling plays and expects him to “do a great job.” He didn’t deny, though, that he will need to get into a groove.

“It’s definitely not going to be easy for him to do it for the first time, but that’s why he has the 11 (players) on the field and (Payton) to help support him,” Nix said.

Webb called plays for the Broncos in their 27-7 win over Arizona in a preseason game on Aug. 16, 2025, when they rolled up 562 yards. With Webb preparing to do it again Friday, Payton was asked if he will do anything different with Webb to prepare him for the role.

“I think it’ll feel and look about the same,” Payton said. “We’ll go through where coaches are. The big thing is let’s not ever lose track of finding the right 53 (to make the opening roster). So in order to do that, as we get into the developmental players or the younger players, making sure we’re giving them defenses, offenses; reps of things they know well, so we can evaluate their ability.”

Starters who play might not make it to the second quarter. Engram is hopeful of taking the field against the Falcons.

“I assume that we’re going to get some run,” he said. “I’d love to get some run back home, so whatever Coach says is what we’ll do.”

Engram grew up in the Atlanta area. As for Nix, playing in Atlanta is as close as he can get in the NFL to Alabama, where he grew up.

Stay tuned to see if any sort of homecoming will be in order for the third-year man.