you know it was really cool it's uh you know not every day to um to get that news but obviously you know as a room we've been working hard um and you know putting a lot of good things on on film putting a lot of good things um you know on the practice field um and so to to get that that news is definitely um a great great um you know great thing and so I'm super excited and uh you know ready to get back to work again and go back to it and start again there's still things that I'm trying to gain comfort in um other things that I feel comfortable with that started early so I don't think as a quarterback you ever feel you know ultimately extremely comfortable because there's always a defense that you're having to go against always certain things that you see or learn on a daily basis but um you know the past few weeks I felt really comfortable and getting to a different defense playing these preseason games have uh really helped me a lot and I think that's helped um in the growth process what have you seen from him Chris that defies or contradicts or maybe shows you he's grown and matured and developed from your evaluation of him before the draft I I I can't say a a whole lot you know I I one I I was I'm not trying I was higher on them than most right I made him the third quarterback behind Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams at number one so so I I saw a lot of the positives there um I think the thing that needed to be answered for most of the public and everybody there was the down the field throwing the pep on the football right can he make throws into Tight Windows that's what the thing everybody questioned a little bit right was it the offense that helped him or can he AB actually do this and like we saw the other night in the game like we showed the Highlight a minute ago if you want to show it again against the uh the Colts he throws the in Cut to courland Sutton on the right side there's plenty of arm there I mean he can let it go when he wants to so you know I think more than anything now it's just going to be about comfortable and the and the and the NFL regular season defenses but there's nothing physically that I go oh wow he really fixed this and did that I I think the thing that I'm just maybe surprised at at all is just how quickly he was comfortable I think that's really what it is but I think the skill set in itself like this throw right here that is not an easy throw to make that play action fake and get the ball out of your hand that quickly and then throw that ball that accurately with a guy looking to undercut it and pick it 99 yard you know that's special stuff but no I think it's it's just how quickly he's become comfortable that's maybe the most surprising Mike and it did feel like a real competition for Bo Knicks to earn it not just some ceremonial thing where they put him at three and then they bump him to two and then they get him to number one and nobody thinks he was handed anything here's both Nicks and Shawn pton talking about the competition between him Jared STM and and Zach Wilson that resulted in Nicks being the starter we all attacked every day like we were the starter so we all attacked each time we were able to go with the ones each time we were able to to switch up we all went to practice like you know this is our opportunity to be the starter so if you go with that mindset then when they tell you it it shouldn't change much cuz you've been practicing that way and that's your daily habit so I give credit to sty and Zach you know they came every day practicing like they're the starters and they're going to continue to do that because um we all know one play can can change things but um those guys have pushed me you know extremely hard I've learned a lot from those two um and wouldn't be here without them um you know pushing me along the way teaching me things and um you know they've been incredible to have in a room for a rookie quarterback and so um I really thank them a lot is this a decision for the entire year is it a week Play We yeah I I knew that question was coming and this this goes for the team there there there's no tour exemptions for 17 weeks like like Castle Pines right now you know these guys they're earning each week and playing well each week and it's not just the quarterback position but you don't get a season exemption you got to play by the way the golf course in Denver the BMW Championship there this weekend PGA Tour um I didn't know that Gary or somebody else put that in the sheets I don't know a whole lot about golf because I'm horrible at it so uh yeah Bon Nick's getting it done and deserving it and earning it and he's now look he's he the the point that pton makes is absolutely right because once you put the rookie out there you can't really you can't really take him back you better be damn sure he's ready to go wire to wire and do everything you can to help him prove it because once you start playing musical chairs and pulling out rookie quarterback and put him on the bench you know I and I don't know maybe this isn't even accurate but there's that kind of cardinal rule yeah that I know you mess with the guy's head and you right you screw up his future prospects and you hurt his development if you put him out there as the starter and then bench him at some point during that rookie year and then he's out there again and then you know that back and forth I think it messes with fan expectations and do they like the guy do they not like the guy you just want when you have made that investment y once he's there he's got to stay it's got to run its course it can't be back and forth it can't be bench and unbench the guy yeah you're right about that I mean hey they've said it that that quarterback room's real I mean stm's talented stm's got as you've heard me say a million times has starting starting quarterback qualities about his game we know Zach Wilson has got extreme Talent he's just got to learn to play the position better but the talents real so yeah they're not going to just anoint anyone and go here you go no matter what you do you're the starter but I would think they've made him the starter because they believe he can do that and they Shawn pton doesn't want to do the things you mentioned that way and that that's that's you know really cool that Shawn Peyton can have a Young quarterback like this and four weeks in the training camp go damn I think he's the best one I think he's really talented and gosh he he can handle all my offense and the media and everything that way wow this is this is a special rookie here I think I can start him I think he can do this I think he can go 18 you know 17 weeks in a row so that's the ultimate goal and I think that's the that's the really I I think the really cool thing about this draft class right I mean the fact that we got Caleb Jaden and Bo Nicks right off the bat and there's really no question it's not like oh they're they're not looking that good but they're top picks of the draft so they got to get out there and play a little bit this is like slam dunk like you saw five plays from all of them and you're like wow they look good they look like they're starters and all right let me see a little bit more if they're consistent whoa they're amazing I I I think we got something rare and special here with this class in a lot of ways especially these three guys and who knows there still could be a fourth one lurking out there whether it's Drake mayor or Michael penck Jr although for now three is probably it we're not going to see JJ McCarthy at all this year he'll likely be the week one starter next year he would have been four this year it was trending that way like you said right it would have been four it would have been those four JJ McCarthy was certainly giving off The Vibes after that first preseason game you said it the way they called the game how many throws they called where it was going yeah he's backup right now but we're going to get him reps because he won't be the backup much longer so that's a shame that he got hurt it really stinks still something weird happened in Atlanta Falcons fans get upset when we try to understand why they put penck on ice for week two and week three of the preseason that is unusual that is odd that is something that invites speculation as to what the hell they're doing and when they've already surprised Us by drafting him we'd be stupid to not wonder what other tricks they may have up their sleeves in Atlanta that contributed to this decision to not give him preseason reps after week one so who knows maybe we'll see him and maybe it's as simple as they're not confident putting Kirk Cousins out there with the repair to kill his tendon at Age 3 until he has a little more time to heal hi it's Mike Florio thanks for watching PFT on YouTube hit subscribe for the latest news and Analysis from pro football talk