Zach Wilson will have to ride the pine in Denver. 

The Broncos named rookie Bo Nix as their starting quarterback on Wednesday, with the Oregon product set to be under center when the team opens the 2024 NFL season against the Seahawks on Sept. 8. 

Nix, who will be the first Broncos rookie QB to start Week 1 since John Elway in 1983, has impressed during training camp and in preseason action after being taken No. 12 overall in this year’s NFL draft.

Sean Payton decided to hand the 24-year-old the reins after Denver took an $85 million dead-cap hit to move on from Russell Wilson earlier this year. 

“It was really cool,” Nix said Wednesday about finding out he’d be the starter. “It’s not every day [you] get that news, but obviously as a room we’ve been working hard and putting a lot of good things on film and a lot of good things on the practice field. So to get that news is definitely a great thing. I’m super excited.” 

Payton said Nix has been “outstanding” this summer, and noted his arm strength down the field as one of the areas he has excelled in. 

The rookie beat out Jarrett Stidham and Wilson, whom the Broncos acquired in a trade with the Jets earlier this year following three ugly seasons. 

Wilson, the second-overall pick in the 2021 draft, was supposed to learn behind Aaron Rodgers last year but was thrust right back into action when Rodgers tore his Achilles four offensive plays into the season. 

The 25-year-old, who recently got engaged to girlfriend Nicolette Dellanno, threw for 2,271 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games last year. 

Nix went 8-for-9 with 80 yards and a touchdown against the Packers on Sunday, while Wilson went 2-for-6 with 29 yards and a touchdown. 

Stidham, the former Patriots fourth-round pick, went 7-for-11 with 65 yards and an interception. 

Nix joins the Bears’ Caleb Williams and Commanders’ Jayden Daniels as rookie quarterbacks who will start in Week 1.