ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos' starters will play about 15 snaps on Friday against the Falcons, but quarterback Bo Nix's preseason debut will wait another week, according to Head Coach Sean Payton.

"Expecting our starters to play around 15 plays," Payton said Wednesday. "Bo won't play in this game. He'll play next week."

The Broncos host the Packers on Friday, Aug. 21 in their first home preseason game of the year.

Payton said if the Broncos were playing a regular-season game, Nix would play in the game.

"He wants to play," Payton said. "He'll play the next two weeks."

Payton noted the Broncos "already decided, maybe like a month ago" that Nix would not play against the Falcons.

"If we were playing a game, I would say he would play and probably — you'd have to ask him — but I would say [be] 100 percent," Payton said.

Asked further about Nix, Payton said Nix's number of reps in training camp has not decreased compared to previous years.

"I get asked, not about his health, but, 'All right, is he still able to…'" Payton said. "There was a play where he moved and hit Pat [Bryant]. That was a real good sign. It was a real good throw. He's doing well. … He's right where we were hoping he'd be."

Nix will still travel with the team to Atlanta because he is "healthy enough to play" and the team is not worried about him suffering a setback, according to Payton. The Broncos' head coach said a number of other players, though, will remain in Denver.

"A lot of them aren't going to be there," Payton said. "We'll have a group back here. Generally speaking, if a guy is injured during the season, a lot of times it's better if they're not flying and traveling. There's going to be a group here rehabbing."

In Nix's absence, Payton said Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger will each play for a half in Friday's matchup with the Falcons.

"They're doing well," Payton said. "… Again, I've said this, they're focused on their best stuff. They're competing against the 31 other quarterbacks [in the league], no different than the other positions. It's a great room. Those guys get along well. It'll be good to get them some real game experience and see how they're doing."