Mike McGlinchey never had to resort to social media, newspapers or talk shows for his Bo Nix ankle updates this offseason.
He spent most of it with the Broncos quarterback and his twice-surgically repaired joint in person. So, he may not have been at the park the day a kid approached Nix and asked if his legs were crooked, but the veteran right tackle saw plenty of Nix to prevent him from worrying about what the third-year quarterback’s return timeline might look like.
“He was here with us,” McGlinchey said Thursday. “There’s a group of us that live here full time, train here full time. I saw him every step of the way and he was checking all his boxes, attacking his rehab hard, as he always does everything.”
Nix, of course, was around the Broncos, too, through OTAs and minicamp in June and saw the field some during Denver’s two minicamp days.
Now the Broncos are through two acclimation practices and officially open training camp to fans on Friday morning. Through two days, Nix has taken what looks like a normal set of starter repetitions and done all manner of practice work. The team will likely not be in pads for the first time until Monday, but even then, quarterbacks are not subject to much, if any, contact during practices.
“(His work is) the reason why he’s in position to be full-go from Day 1 to start,” McGlinchey said. “He looks great out there, he’s ready to compete and we’re excited to have him.”
Hufanga: Broncos’ ‘tone’ is already set
In a pair of acclimation practices without pads, one element of the 2026 Broncos already seems apparent. The continuity and roster retention mean there’s already a noticeable level of comfort. There are new players, to be sure, and a handful of coaching staff changes, but overall, this group has the feel of one that doesn’t need much acclimation.
“To be honest, I think the tone was already set in OTAs,” safety Talanoa Hufanga said. “I don’t really think there’s a ramp-up period right now. Everybody’s feet were on the field today and we were ready to go.”
Hufanga has new position coaches, but there’s every chance Denver will roll out the same five starters in the secondary come Week 1 with Brandon Jones next to him at safety and corners Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss and nickel Ja’Quan McMillian flanking them.
The same goes for the offensive and defensive lines, where John Franklin-Myers is the only key free agency departure.
Those groups don’t get a true measure until the pads come on, but McGlinchey said there’s plenty to be accomplished even before that point.
“The tone is just a mindset and how you prepare,” McGlinchey said. “It doesn’t always have to be ‘hit each other in the mouth.’ The tone can be, ‘Hey we get great work in and letap be professionals.’
“Both of our groups have been together for a long time and we know how to do that.”
Young TE Caleb Lohner still absent
Second-year Broncos tight end Caleb Lohner was again absent from practice Thursday. He was joined only by rookie defensive back Blake Cotton, who left practice with the training staff Wednesday.
Linebacker Jordan Turner (non-football injury list) worked on the side field during practice.
The Broncos also tried out a pair of defensive backs Thursday in Sam Webb and Ricardo Hallman. Hallman played collegiately at Wisconsin. Webb has appeared in 36 NFL games for Cleveland, Carolina and Las Vegas, and in seven games last year for the Browns.
