NFL teams must reduce their rosters from 90 players to 53 by 4 p.m. Sunday, which means as soon as Friday night’s preseason finale ends, the process of finalizing the first version of an active roster kicks into high gear.

So many of Denver’s starters and key role players return from past years and little doubt exists about their roles.

Still, there are several spots up for grabs and, perhaps more pertinently, there are several levers the Broncos can pull to get as many players back into their building as possible.

The job isn’t to pick the best 53 players, necessarily. Head coach Sean Payton always uses the term “the right 53.”

That means some players who are going to be part of Denver’s equation this season could start on the practice squad, be cut and re-signed to the 53-man roster a day later, start the season on injured reserve or any number of other machinations.

Having a deep roster means added risk of losing players between Sunday afternoon and the 11 a.m. claiming deadline, after which teams can begin assembling their practice squads.

“I think that gets weighed in a lot,” Payton said of who’s most at risk of getting claimed. “I’ll turn to the analytics and a lot of it is what kind of tape the opponents seeing. That gets weighed in a lot. Who do we feel like is more likely to get claimed? Certain positions are more likely to get claimed.

“So that����ap always a challenge.”

A challenge, but one we’re taking on one final time. Here’s a last stab at a 53-man roster.

Changes from last week’s projection are italicized.

OFFENSE (24)

QUARTERBACKS (3)

Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger

Final call: Taking three quarterbacks is going to cost Denver a player somewhere else, but in the end, that����ap the call here. Ehlinger didn’t sound earlier this week like a player who planned on packing his bags any time soon, then he authored a terrific preseason finale. Plus, there aren’t any good Payton-experienced quarterbacks out there as practice squad options.

If they take two to start, it����ap most likely because they swung a deal with Ehlinger or found a trade option they liked. Ehlinger is a veteran, so he can sign anywhere if he’s cut. Depending on how much injured reserve activity the Broncos have, they could cut Ehlinger with a promise he’s back on the 53-man roster in a day. Or they could ask him to start the season on the practice squad. The real curveball would be a two-man Nix/Ehlinger room to start.

RUNNING BACK (3)

J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman

Final call: The Broncos will press all the buttons to squeeze extra spots out of the roster. In this projection, that means cutting Adam Prentice with the agreement that he’ll be signed to the practice squad, elevated three times and/or added back to the 53 when a spot becomes available. Prentice has had a good camp and will be in the mix one way or another.

If Jaleel McLaughlin and/or Tyler Badie clear waivers and return to the practice squad, all the better. Historic odds on players claimed suggest at least one will. Cody Schrader could be a practice squad option, too.

TIGHT END (4)

Adam Trautman, Evan Engram, Nate Adkins and Justin Joly

Final call: Joly hasn’t had a big training camp, but he finished with a bang on a wide-open 88-yard touchdown Friday night. Caleb Lohner hasn’t practiced at all and seems like a candidate to begin the season on injured reserve. They could wait a day and thus save a return designation for now to ensure that Lohner actually does recover and get fully healthy. Can’t rule out Dallen Bentley or Lucas Krull nabbing a spot, but they feel like the most likely to get through waivers.

WIDE RECEIVER (5)

Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin

Final call: The same five it����ap been all of camp. The sticking point here: Lil’Jordan Humphrey is almost certainly going to be part of the plan. In this case, he either starts on the practice squad or is a one-day cut until the Broncos place someone else on injured reserve. Denver will feel fortunate if all of its undrafted rookie receivers get through to the practice squad. There are a ton of receivers out there around the league, but Cam Ross and/or Kolbe Katsis could factor on special teams at some point in the not-so-distant future and could draw attention from other teams.

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski, Kage Casey, Alex Forsyth, Tyler Miller 

Final call: Let����ap get a little bit wild. In this projection, Frank Crum is placed on injured reserve Sunday with a designation to return. Then, there’s the Tyler Miller conversation. The Broncos have lost a developmental tackle each of the past two years at the cutdown. They know the value of such players. If they can get Calvin Throckmorton and Matt Peart to agree to start the year on the practice squad, this becomes possible. The end goal here: Keep as many of this group as possible for as long as possible.

DEFENSE (26)

DEFENSIVE LINE (7)

Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Tyler Onyedim, Jordan Jackson, Sai’Vion Jones

Final call: Maybe the Broncos ultimately feel like they have to choose between Jackson and Sai’Vion Jones, but this coaching staff and front office have prided themselves on building depth in both trenches. If there are ways around cutting somebody up front, they’ll find them. Jackson is too reliable and Jones too young to part ways with just yet, though the latter has had a relatively quiet camp.

“Every year is different and you really never know,” said Jackson, whose made the 53 each of the past two years. “Five weeks to put in the work I’ve put in. We’ll see how it all comes out.”

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

Nik Bonitto, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson, Dondrea Tillman, Ron Stone, Jr.

Final call: Time is ticking quickly, but in this version, the projection is that the Broncos will have clarity on Jonathon Cooper’s status — a suspension levied by the NFL or (perhaps more likely at the moment) a placement on the commissioner’s exempt list — by the time the roster cutdown arrives. Stone makes it as a depth piece, at least to start. The tough call here is what to do with Drew Sanders. Is it injured reserve? They have to use one of eight return designations to put him there Sunday but if they carry him for one day, they can stash him and decide later whether to bring him back. Still, Sanders has played four games in the past two seasons. It may be time for a fresh start. If there’s no decision on Cooper at 4 p.m. Sunday, he’ll be on the roster.

INSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Red Murdock, Jordan Turner, Karene Reid 

Final call: The Broncos had a curveball thrown this week when Taylor Rapp left after just one practice. Reid, Turner and Murdock are all special teams staples and it����ap easy to see any of them getting time on defense if either Singleton or Strnad miss time. Murdock has been calling the defense in practice, the type of investment that makes it easy to think Denver wants to keep him around for a while. The question: Are Reid and Turner worthy of among the last spots on the roster. Their special teams work last year and preseason playing time so far this summer suggest yes.

CORNERBACK (5)

Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, Jahdae Barron, Kris Abrams-Draine

Final call: One of the toughest calls to leave off the roster is Reese Taylor. The Broncos are just fortunate to have high-quality depth across the cornerback group, which works against Taylor despite his special teams ability and ability to play in the slot on defense. He’s a player who will likely feel like a little bit of a risk trying to get through waivers. He also sustained a concussion Friday night against the Vikings.

SAFETY (4)

Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Devon Key, JL Skinner

Final call: Miles Scott is a nice developmental player, but based on his role and playing time so far in camp, perhaps Denver is hoping they can get that redshirt year done on the practice squad. Tycen Anderson was one of the most conspicuous players not to dress Friday night vs. Minnesota. Those guys are either already on the roster or definitely not making it. The guess here is the latter.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)

Wil Lutz (PK), Jeremy Crawshaw (P), Mitchell Fraboni (LS)

Final call: Easy. They’ve got Luke Basso’s number if they need a long-snapper at any point during the season.

Same, most likely, for players who find themselves on the edge of Denver’s roster or any other NFL team.

Hard deadlines approach.

By the time players clear out of the locker room after the Broncos’ preseason finale Friday night at home against Minnesota, the cut-off for teams to reduce their rosters from 90 down to 53 will only be about 40 hours away.

That means coach Sean Payton, general manager George Paton and their staffs will go essentially right from the game to finalizing their 53-man roster. After Sunday’s 4 p.m. cutdown deadline, they’ll get back to scouring the waiver wire and assembling their 16-man practice squad, which can be finalized after 11 a.m. Monday.

For a team as deep and talented as the Broncos and with as many defined starters and roles as the club already has set, there are still a unique group of decisions to make.

Denver may place up to two players on injured reserve with designations to return on Sunday, but it����ap unclear if any of its injured players currently are set to miss enough time to warrant such a move. The Broncos, as of Friday morning, are awaiting clarity on Jonathon Cooper’s status with the NFL ahead of a Monday arraignment on a felony assault charge and other lesser charges. They have veterans who could be asked to start the season on the practice squad, too. Perhaps there’s a trade candidate or two on the roster, too.

Essentially, the playbook is wide open and Denver will use all tools at its disposal to keep as many players as possible in the building beyond just the 53 that make the initial cut.

But first, 60 minutes against the Vikings. Quarterback Bo Nix isn’t playing. If other Broncos starters do, it likely won’t be for long.

It����ap a bubblelicious weekend.

Here are five storylines to watch.

The closing days of bubble watch arrive with questions to answer on both lines

For the Broncos on the defensive line, the question is as simple as whether they’ve got room to go as heavy as last year. Denver kept seven on the 53-man roster a year ago. If it does the same this year, the likelihood is the same six plus plus rookie third-rounder Tyler Onyedim instead of the departed John Franklin-Myers. If the Broncos take six, then the question becomes whether the last spot goes to veteran Jordan Jackson or second-year man Sai’Vion Jones. Could Denver trade one of them? Jackson made the roster cleanly the past two years and is a trusted role player. Jones hasn’t cracked the rotation yet, but Denver traded up into the third round to draft him in 2025. The Broncos have been loath to part with depth up front in past years.

Questions on the offensive line are more injury-related. They have been without Alex Forsyth on and off for the past two weeks and without Frank Crum this week. How long will each be out? They have a pair of veterans in Calvin Throckmorton and Matt Peart who could be needed as key reserves but also could be asked to start the season on the practice squad.

That leaves several moving pieces. Could a young guy like Tyler Miller snag a spot? Tackles are popular targets on the waiver wire and the Broncos have lost one at the cutdown each of the past two years.

Looking for clues at linebacker and tight end

There are also interesting decisions to make at inside linebacker and tight end. They’re similar positions in a way, because there are a pair of veterans at the top of each room and then a lot of unproven first- and second-year players behind.

At tight end, the room behind Adam Trautman and Evan Engram is going to come down to style preference and who Denver’s front office thinks it can get through to the practice squad. Justin Joly is a fifth-round pick, but he and seventh-rounder Dallen Bentley have each had relatively quiet camps. Nate Adkins had a down 2025 season due to injuries, but teams around the league like players with his versatility. Lucas Krull has been a regular presence here the past two seasons. Caleb Lohner is a wild card. Payton raved about him this spring, but he’s missed all of camp with lower-body injuries. Perhaps he’s an injured reserve stash candidate.

At linebacker, behind Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton, there are four candidates for two or three spots. The consistent No. 2 line recently has been Karene Reid and Jordan Turner, but the Broncos like seventh-round rookie Red Murdock and undrafted rookie Taurean York has done good things, too.

Will Denver roll the dice with Murdock (or Reid/Turner) on the waiver wire? Or do they feel the need to keep five from the jump?

QBs Sam Ehlinger, Jarrett Stidham again take center stage

With Nix not playing, Denver’s other two quarterbacks will take center stage for what the Broncos certainly hope is the final time this season. Stidham is set to start but ,Ehlinger is in line to play most of the game, perhaps as much as three quarters depending on how the game flows and how many possessions unfold in the first quarter.

This could just be a carbon copy of the 2024 season, where Stidham played 10 snaps in the preseason finale, Zach Wilson handled the rest and then shortly after they both found out they made the 53-man roster.

Or, it could be a continuation of an actual battle. Payton said categorically on Wednesday that the club had not yet determined who the No. 2 is behind Nix, though given the way the preseason and reps have played out so far, Stidham has played the role of a No. 2 every day but two that reporters have been present.

Ehlinger told The Post this week that he trusts the Broncos and has had good conversations with them so far through training camp. Perhaps it����ap just as simple as Denver keeping all three, whether that����ap on the 53-man roster or Ehlinger starting off with a brief practice squad stint like he did last year.

Either way, neither Ehlinger nor Stidham will want to leave anything to chance on Friday.

Any conspicuous players held out of the game?

Payton on Wednesday acknowledged that teams this time of year not only are careful not to show their cards scheme-wise, but they’ll also try to hide a player they’re trying to sneak through waivers. Payton’s tried it before — and eventually got burned anyway by his own mentor. He was excited by tackle Jeremy Parnell as a developmental project during New Orleans’ Super Bowl run and had plenty else on his mind when he invited Bill Parcells — then the Miami Dolphins’ president — to watch a pre-Super Bowl practice.

The next fall, Payton tried to sneak Parnell through waivers at the roster cutdown and get him on the practice squad. He hadn’t played in games and had essentially no film. And yet, the Dolphins claimed him.

“There was literally no evidence at all,” Payton recalled this week. “A year after that, Bill had retired and I asked him, ‘Hey, what allowed you guys to claim Parnell?’ And he said, ‘Well, you invited me to practice and every time you broke the huddle, all I saw was that 6-7 tackle.’

“And he said, ‘Don’t invite the fox in the hen house.’ I learned a lesson.”

Parnell played 111 games in his career, including 64 starts, but funny enough, they all came for Dallas and Jacksonville from 2012 on.

Payton also often says it����ap not easy to hold a lot of players out of preseason games because you risk exposing those who carry a heavier workload to injury. Plus, holding a player out could be a tip-off in its own right.

Regardless, it����ap good to remember that this is roster gamesmanship season.

Any conspicuous stat lines that add up to “trade candidate?”

The Albert O. Special, as it����ap known in Denver. In 2023, tight end Albert Okwuegbunam didn’t feel like a fit on Payton’s first roster. Then in the team’s preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams, he caught seven passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. That����ap how you play yourself onto a 53-man, right? Well, yeah, but in Philadelphia. The Broncos traded the tight end to the Eagles between the finale and the roster cutdown. If Philly thought it could have landed Okwuegbunam as a waiver claim, it wouldn’t have traded for him. It wasn’t much — Okwuegbunam and a seventh-rounder for a sixth-rounder — but it was better than nothing.

The Broncos will need to trim the roster from 90 players to 53 this weekend, but how Cooper fits into the puzzle remains to be determined. Sean Payton still isn’t sure if the Broncos will have an answer from the NFL on Cooper’s status before then.

“I don’t know. You would always want clarity,” Payton said Wednesday after practice. “But, I think we’ll find out soon and (the media) will probably find out right when I do.”

Cooper was arrested twice in early June, stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident, and faces four active charges in Douglas County, including felony second-degree assault by strangulation. He is set to be arraigned in a Douglas County courtroom Monday.

The 28-year-old Cooper has been a full participant in training camp with the Broncos. The NFL is still conducting its own review of the situation. Cooper could be suspended, which would remove him from the 53-man roster, or he could be placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.

That would also remove him from the 53-man roster and it would place him on temporary paid leave. He would not be allowed to play or practice with the team, but players on the exempt list are typically allowed to attend meetings and work out in the club’s facility.

“We continue to monitor all developments in the matter which remains under review,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Denver Post on Wednesday.

If the NFL does make an announcement before the Sunday cutdown deadline and Cooper is removed from the roster, that could open up a spot for another outside linebacker, Ron Stone, Jr., whom the Broncos signed Tuesday as a free agent.

Rapp released, but likely to return

The Broncos released veteran safety Taylor Rapp a few days after his arrival, but it also sounds like he’ll be back.

“Taylor Rapp came in, we spent some time with him,” Payton said. “He needs a little time at home and we completely get what he’s needing. There’s a good chance, better than good chance that — I know how he felt being here – so I think sooner or later (him re-signing with the Broncos) is going to happen. But this obviously took precedence, so just leave it at that.”

Rapp, a 28-year-old safety with 93 games and 72 starts of NFL experience between stints with the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams, signed Aug. 20 with the Broncos after the team waived injured linebacker Levelle Bailey. He practiced with the team, but did not participate in Denver’s second preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.

“It was early, but here’s what we know: We’ve played against him,” Payton said. “He’s smart, which is a great trait to have as a safety. He’s a good tackler. He can play down over the slot. He’s got versatility.”

‘Coach Webb’ is one of the boys

Courtland Sutton grew up about 240 miles south of Prosper, Texas, where a hot-shot quarterback led his high school to a district championship and the state quarterfinals before signing with Texas Tech.

Sutton went to SMU and didn’t cross paths with the quarterback in college, but now Davis Webb is his offensive coordinator. Webb, 31, is less than nine months older than Sutton, but will be calling plays for him after being promoted in February.

“He always laughs when I’m like ‘Coach Webb’ because we’re dang near the same age, but I’m always gonna be respectful,” Sutton said. “He’s gonna be ‘Coach Webb.’ But, Coach Webb is one of the boys, in a sense that he wants to see everyone have success.

“He wants to see us go out there and make plays and have fun doing it. However, he’s gonna be like your boy and be like, ‘Hey, tighten up. Let’s get it going.’ He’s never disrespectful, and I think that allows everyone to go out there and want to play for him.’ ”

Attendance

Did not practice 

Side field: CB Riley Moss (ribs), C Alex Forsyth, OLB Drew Sanders, TE Caleb Lohner

Not present: OL Frank Crum

Through two exhibition games, Joseph has noticed a trend in how both the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers attacked on first down against a Broncos team that led the NFL with a franchise-record 68 sacks and finished third in points per game allowed at 18.3 a year ago.

“Lots of (bootlegs), lots of misdirection, outside runs more often than not, max-protection passes, quick game,” Joseph said Tuesday after practice. “Teams don’t want to lose first down, because if they do lose first down, then our rush kind of comes alive. So I think that that game was an example of what is coming in the future.

“In two weeks, we’ve seen that kind of trend that way.”

It’s a pretty simple adjustment. Other NFL teams watched Denver’s pass rush terrorize quarterbacks, so there’s been a commitment — even in the preseason — by the Falcons and Packers to get creative on first down.

The numbers back up the opposition’s concern. Denver allowed a 36.76% success rate on first and second downs last season, , which was the lowest mark in the league.

“I think they’re trying to get 4 yards,” Joseph said when asked what he thinks those teams are thinking. “They don’t want to be in second-and-7 or 8-plus, because that����ap obviously a pass rush down. I thought last year we did a great job of basically playing third down twice.

“Third downs is where they practice their protection plans. They might slide to Nick (Bonitto) and chip (Jonathon Cooper). Second downs is where we made our hay, as far as the pass rush. I think teams understand that.”

The Broncos were effective at getting to the quarterback on all downs in 2025. But of Denver’s 12 sacks on second downs, 10 of them came in second-and-7 or longer. The more it looks like a passing down, the more Joseph can get creative with where and how his rushers can attack.

According to , the Broncos were a zone-heavy team in long-distance downs in 2025, but a man-heavy defense in short-to-gain situations. Joseph’s schemes can muddle the data, because his zone defense often comes with man-to-man principles. But, in general, a zone look at the snap can make it more confusing for the opposing quarterback and offensive line to diagnose where the pass-rush threats are coming from.

The Broncos also held opposing offenses to the worst third- and fourth-down success rate last year, per SumerSports, at 35.91%. There was little joy to be found, regardless of what down it was.

But Joseph and his staff have identified how they think opponents are going to try and change that this year. Long-down distances are death against this Broncos pass rush, so find a way to stay out of them and hope everything gets a little easier.

“We watched it over the summer and spring, just getting ready for how teams are going to play us,” Joseph said. “That����ap been a lesson for our guys the first two weeks.”

Attendance

Did not practice

Side field: CB Riley Moss, C Alex Forsyth, LB Drew Sanders
Not present: S Taylor Rapp, T Frank Crum

Limited

RB RJ Harvey and S Tycen Anderson both did some drills and spent part of practice on the side field.

Cornerback Riley Moss, who left Friday’s preseason loss to Green Bay on the second play of the night with an injury to his ribs, did not sustain a serious injury, head coach Sean Payton said Monday.

Moss didn’t practice on Monday and was relegated to light conditioning work on the side field.

“He’s doing fine,” Payton said. “It����ap nothing serious. We’re being smart. We’ll see as the week progresses where he’s at.”

Moss nearly came away with an interception on the first snap of Friday’s game, jumping an out-breaking route to Packers receiver Christian Watson and getting both hands on the ball. On the next play, Denver corner Pat Surtain II knocked the ball away from Watson and Moss picked it up, but was hit in the side in the process. Watson was ruled down by contact and Moss didn’t return to the game after that. Most of the Broncos’ defensive starters didn’t play after the first drive of the game.

Frank Crum also hurt Friday, but ‘doing good’

Payton didn’t give specifics on offensive tackle Frank Crum, but did not make it sound like he was hurt badly during Friday’s game. Crum was not seen at practice on Monday.

“He’s doing good,” Payton said. “We’ll have a couple of these guys — so far, we’ve had a few injuries that were costly for some players, but hopefully we can get through this next stretch, you know, relatively healthy.”

Crum, undrafted out of the University of Wyoming in 2024, tied rookie Kage Casey among offensive players Friday by playing 37 snaps. He was in until a 9-yard Sam Ehlinger sack midway through the fourth quarter. After that, Denver ran just two more plays in the final minute to bleed the rest of the clock.

Injury updates

Among the rest of the roster, center Luke Wattenberg and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. each did team work for the first time since getting injured early in camp. Wattenberg took most of the first-team reps but didn’t have a completely full workload.

Also not practicing: OLB Drew Sanders, C Alex Forsyth and TE Caleb Lohner. Lohner, though, was working out on the side field for the first time since the team reported in late July.

Sean Payton excited about adding veteran Taylor Rapp

The Broncos last week added veteran safety Taylor Rapp to their roster by signing him to a one-year deal. The contract is worth the veteran minimum, $1.3 million, according to NFLPA data and comes with $100,000 guaranteed, a source said.

“Veteran player we liked,” Payton said Monday. “Had good grades on (him) and just, more talent at that position. It wasn’t us pounding the table, ‘‘we need a safety.’ It was, hey, this player is available. Let����ap work him out and sign him if possible.

“I’m glad he’s here. We’ve had experience playing against him. He’s got real good football instincts and awareness that serves you well at that position. I think it was more availability than necessity, if that makes sense.”

The NFL’s deadline for trimming rosters from 90 players down to 53 is now just a week away.

By the time Sean Payton’s team finishes its preseason finale against Minnesota on Friday, those decisions will be right in front of the coaching staff and front office.

Denver is widely regarded as having one of the deepest rosters in football. Even though losing players to waiver claims from other teams is relatively rare — there were 29 total waiver claims at the cut down last year and 27 the year before — the Broncos are the kind of team others around the league will be paying extra close attention to.

A year ago, they saw two players claimed — offensive lineman Xavier Truss and cornerback Damari Mathis — and a repeat performance this year would not be surprising.

So, that����ap the cat-and-mouse game for Payton, general manager George Paton and company. It����ap about putting together a high-quality 53-man roster but also about protecting as many players as possible while getting as many as you can through waivers and to the practice squad.

With that, here’s the Denver Post����ap penultimate roster projection. The last will come following Denver’s preseason finale.

OFFENSE (24)

QUARTERBACKS (3)

Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger

Current picture: Nix has been healthy, and Stidham has taken the lion’s share of the No. 2 reps in practice and in games. He wasn’t sharp in 30 snaps Friday night against the Packers. Can Ehlinger make a last-minute run at the job? And the bigger question for roster purposes is if they keep all three from the outset. The argument against is easy: It����ap a deep roster, and Denver has worthy options at other positions. The argument for, though, is compelling: At the game’s most important position, the Broncos have three players who have started and also been in the system for more than a year. Plus, there is no clear alternative at this point — no young practice squad candidate or somebody who’s been here in the Payton era — meaning if they lose Stidham or Ehlinger and at some point need to play the other, then the backup is someone off the street. Why take that risk with a Super Bowl contender?

Bubble player of interest: The rest of the field at roster cutdown time. Maybe there’s a young player out there the Broncos are hoping gets cut.

RUNNING BACK (3)

J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman

Current picture: The top three are locked in and have the makings of the best Broncos backfield in a while. In this iteration, the Broncos approach veteran Adam Prentice and ask him to start the season on the practice squad. He then gets added to the 53-man roster after three elevations, if not before based on the team’s injury picture. Prentice, though, has been really good since he arrived at the end of camp last year. It’d be a real surprise if he wasn’t squarely involved from the outset. This is just a creative way of making it happen.

Bubble players of interest: Badie and McLaughlin. If Denver can get one or both through to the practice squad, they’ve got themselves nice depth. If not, there will be a ton of backs out there to sort through on the waiver wire.

TIGHT END (4)

Adam Trautman, Evan Engram, Nate Adkins and Justin Joly

Current picture: Fairly wide open after the top two. You can put together several iterations, squint and see it being the way the 53-man shakes out to start the year. This quartet gives Denver a little bit of everything: The top two that are sure to make the roster, a player in Adkins who can play F and also fullback in a pinch and the fifth-round pick in Joly. It����ap contingent on Adkins getting healthy. He’s been in and out this summer. Dallen Bentley isn’t flashy, but he does the dirty work in-line. It may come down to who’s the player Denver feels best about sneaking through the waiver wire between Adkins, Joly and Bentley. Lucas Krull just keeps hanging around the picture, too.

Bubble player of interest: Caleb Lohner. The second-year man is in a bit of a tricky spot now. Maybe Payton’s spring praise was real enough that he gets back soon and makes the roster from the outset. Otherwise, from a roster perspective, could he be an IR candidate to start the year with a return designation? You only get so many, so they’d have to be counting on him playing at some point.

WIDE RECEIVER (5)

Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin

Current picture: Pretty much set… unless. Outside of a Devaughn Vele-esque trade from depth, this looks like a darn good quintet for the Broncos. We’ve all become accustomed to Lil’Jordan Humphrey starting the year on the practice squad and then playing a lot, but he legitimately deserves a roster spot the way he’s played this summer. Will it be there for him? Regardless, the role will be. As is, there’s a world in which Humphrey’s elevated from the practice squad early in the year and Franklin is a gameday inactive if everyone is healthy. Enviable depth in this room.

Bubble player of interest: Cam Ross. He got to run with the top group in the first preseason game. Then Friday night vs. Green Bay it was fellow undrafted rookie Dane Key. Kolbe Katsis has come on strong, too. Denver’s got options for the practice squad. There are a ton of receivers out there, but the Broncos could lose one of these guys at the roster cutdown.

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski, Frank Crum, Kage Casey, Calvin Throckmorton

Current picture: What has looked like a rock-solid nine for the active roster has its first major question: Is Alex Forsyth going to get enough healthy time to make the roster and, even if he does, has Throckmorton just flat-out outplayed him for the No. 2 center job in camp? For now, we’re leaning yes to the second question regardless of the first. Forsyth has capital built up in the building, though. Payton calls him one of the smartest centers he’s been around. Throckmorton, though, can also play both guard spots, and that flex is valuable. Could be one of the tougher calls on the roster next week.

Bubble player of interest: Tyler Miller. They aren’t exactly household names, but each of the past two years the Broncos have lost a developmental tackle on the waiver wire at the roster cutdown. Last year it was Truss. In 2024, they lost Demontrey Jacobs but had to try to get him to the practice squad because they knew Frank Crum wouldn’t make it through if they waived him. Players are scarce at the position, and Denver knows how to develop them. The bet here is they’ll be quite happy to keep Miller if he makes it through.

DEFENSE (26)

DEFENSIVE LINE (7)

Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Tyler Onyedim, Jordan Jackson, Sai’Vion Jones

Current picture: Denver looks well-situated to replace John Franklin-Myers and keep on rolling with Eyioma Uwazurike and Malcolm Roach. Those two plus D.J. Jones make for a top-flight run-defending group, and if Uwazurike rushes the passer as he has so far in the preseason, this group is going to be really dangerous. The question is if they take seven again like last year. And who would they leave off? If you’re looking for trade candidates in the next week, Jackson would have the chance to draw something real — like, a Day 3 pick rather than just a pick swap, perhaps — from a team that doesn’t have Denver’s depth. He’s made the roster cleanly the past two years and is having another good camp.

Bubble player of interest: Sai’Vion Jones. If you were going to leave somebody from the above group off the roster, Jackson and Sai’Vion Jones are the only two real options. Jackson’s proven he can handle a rotational role, so he’s got that going for him on a championship-minded team. Jones is bigger and stronger than a year ago. It����ap not yet clear he’s fully ready, but Denver also traded up into the third round to draft him just a year ago. It’d be a surprise to cut bait now, especially when there’s no indication they think he’s a lost cause.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson, Dondrea Tillman

Current picture: Straightforward. This group has top-flight production and depth. There’s really no two ways about it. The major question is if Cooper will actually be on the roster Week 1. We’re keeping him on as a placeholder for now, but the reality is there’s a good chance he’s not. He could be suspended in the next eight days and, if the league is still reviewing at the roster cutdown. then perhaps the commissioner’s exempt list comes into play for the interim. Interestingly, the roster cutdown is Aug. 30, and Cooper is slated to be arraigned on domestic violence-related charges Aug. 31.

Bubble player of interest: Drew Sanders. A healthy training camp for Sanders would have made him a compelling bubble player. Perhaps he’s got one more run at it in him over the next week. But after a sack against the Falcons, he didn’t practice all week or play against Green Bay. On this roster, it����ap just going to be really hard to keep a guy who’s in and out as much as Sanders has been. He’s a scary one to let walk, though. If he ever stays healthy, he’s going to make plays.

INSIDE LINEBACKER (4)

Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Red Murdock, Jordan Turner

Current picture: Still up for grabs behind the starters. Murdock is playing his way into a spot, and the Broncos love his smarts. Don’t overthink it and risk losing him. What����ap interesting is Turner has only been back a week or so off of NFI, but he jumped right into camp work with the top two units, and he was next up next to Reid in the game Friday vs. Green Bay. Denver liked his scout team and special teams work as a rookie last year. He’s going to be tough to leave off the roster. But Reid has been available and consistent all summer.

Bubble player of interest: Reid and Taurean York. Even after losing Levelle Bailey to injury, Denver has a bunch of interesting options. Not all of them can make the roster. Whichever two or three the team thinks can make it through waivers are the ones they’ll let go. But this group in general is worth trying to retain and develop through the season.

CORNERBACK (5)

Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, Jahdae Barron, Kris Abrams-Draine

Current picture: There may not be a better, deeper group out there. As long as they’re healthy. Riley Moss left the game Friday with an injury to his ribs, though Payton said he was doing “good.” If he missed any time, that might change the calculus here. Otherwise, the top trio is top-flight, and Barron pairs with Abrams-Draine to provide capable backup and sub play across the board.

Bubble player of interest: Reese Taylor. He’s not a talked-about player, but Taylor was going to make this 53-man projection until the Broncos signed veteran safety Taylor Rapp on Thursday. He still could, depending on how numbers shake out at other positions. Taylor was on the active roster down the stretch last year, is playing on the top line of several Denver special teams units currently and knows the systems for both Vance Joseph and Darren Rizzi.

SAFETY (5)

Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Devon Key, JL Skinner, Taylor Rapp

Current picture: Maybe it����ap as simple as starters, special teamers and Rapp. It����ap hard to imagine Rapp would have signed when he did without some indication Denver planned to carry him on the roster to start the season. He’s played in 93 games in his career but tried to battle through a knee injury early last year, didn’t play great through six games and then was put on injured reserve. Key and Skinner are high-level special teamers, and the staff says it trusts Key to play defense if needed.

Bubble player of interest: Tycen Anderson. In this situation, it comes down to Anderson vs. Skinner for a special teams-dominant role, and Skinner wins out via training camp performance and also the production in years past here.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)

Wil Lutz (PK), Jeremy Crawshaw (P), Mitchell Fraboni (LS) 

Current picture: Pretty much set in stone outside of injury.

Bubble player of interest: Luke Basso has been in camp as a long-snapper, but STC Darren Rizzi said part of the reason is just to take reps off Fraboni during camp. Perhaps more interesting: Could Ross or another young player challenge for time as a returner?

Feel the game-day feels. Knock the rust off. Play clean football.

It didn’t take Denver’s third-year quarterback long to check all those boxes — and more.

Nix and the Broncos’ starting offense scored points on both drives they played Friday night in a preseason game against Green Bay at Empower Field, including an opening touchdown.

Nix finished his night 6-of-9 passing for 76 yards and a 21-yard touchdown pass to second-year running back RJ Harvey.

“For the first time back where he’s actually going against a different defense, I thought he was efficient,” head coach Sean Payton told the broadcast at halftime. “He’s been moving well at practice and that’s really been the key evaluation. No restrictions. He’ll be ready to go to start the year.”

Nix showed the ability to escape pressure and avoid bad plays.

He attacked down the field.

He took his new top-tier offensive weapon, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, out for a third-down spin, too.

It all added up to a productive night for Nix, who had offensive coordinator and new Broncos play-caller Davis Webb as his voice in the helmet for the first time in a game.

Webb dialed up a good one on third-and-5 from the Denver 40. Waddle, Courtland Sutton and Pat Bryant all lined up to Nix’s right. At the snap, Sutton took off up the sideline and Bryant worked his way across Waddle, who was in the slot.

That pair of routes from the Broncos’ pair of physically imposing receivers left Waddle with all kinds of room to operate as he started up the field. He made a quick cut vertically and left All-Pro safety — and former college teammate at Alabama — Xavier McKinney in his dust. Nix hit him for a 35-yard catch-and-run to set the Broncos up in scoring territory.

Three plays later, Nix saw Harvey beat another terrific Packers defender, inside linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, on a wheel route and put a good throw between the numbers on his jersey for a touchdown.

The Broncos’ second drive and the starting offense’s night ended in a 53-yard Wil Lutz field goal.

That constituted a fine night of work over 14 plays for the group. They played mostly clean, except for a Garett Bolles false start. They scored on both drives. The playmakers they’re going to count on this year beat premium players on the other side.

Denver didn’t operate entirely at full strength, though nearly every player dressed for Payton’s team in its home preseason debut. Center Luke Wattenberg, running back J.K. Dobbins, and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. were dressed but did not play. Calvin Throckmorton started at center for Denver.

With Dobbins watching from the sideline, Harvey got the first drive with the No. 1 offense and rookie Jonah Coleman handled the second.

Neither saw any playing time once the starting offensive line was out of the game.

Nix said Tuesday that he was “super excited” to get back on the field almost seven months to the day after he fractured his right ankle in overtime of Denver’s postseason win over Buffalo.

“It����ap always a blast to play at home,” he said. “It����ap great to get in front of our fans. It’ll be fun to get out there for the first time this year, put the pads on and go out there and play a game.

“For me, all the games feel the same and so it’ll be good to get some work in.”

The night did not go as smoothly for Vance Joseph’s top defense. The group looked like it had forced a turnover on the second play of the night when Pat Surtain II stripped Packers receiver Christian Watson, but the fumble was overturned and quarterback Jordan Love led a 12-play touchdown drive on his only possession of the night.

Eyioma Uwazurike continues to push for a starting role along the Denver defensive line. He got the nod in base defense, while Malcolm Roach played in nickel and when Joseph had his pass-rushing groups in the game.

Roll call: The Broncos that didn’t dress were mostly players that have been out recently with injuries: OLB Drew Sanders, C Alex Forsyth, WR Michael Bandy and TE Caleb Lohner. Veteran safety Taylor Rapp also did not dress because he just signed with Denver on Thursday.

When they take the field Friday night for the 2026 home preseason opener against Green Bay, the mood and stakes will be much lighter than January’s snowglobe, 10-7 loss to New England in the AFC title game.

Bo Nix is set to make his first game appearance of the summer and Sean Payton’s team will take one more step toward the regular season, which inches ever closer.

Denver has roster spots up for grabs, roles still to be solidified and some questions on the injury front. A visit from the Packers will provide the next round of data points on all fronts.

Here are five storylines to watch when the Broncos kick off at 7 p.m. Friday.

Bo Nix back on the field

The biggest and most impactful story of the 2026 offseason reaches a new milestone Friday when quarterback Bo Nix is set to make his first appearance of the preseason. It will be the first live football Nix has played since breaking his ankle in the closing moments of the Broncos’ divisional round overtime win against Buffalo in mid-January.

Nix has taken the full set of reps so far in training camp, but did not play against Atlanta last week.

Needless to say, he’s looking forward to getting back on the field, even for a game that doesn’t count.

“I’m super excited,” Nix said Tuesday. “It����ap always a blast to play at home. It����ap great to get in front of our fans. It’ll be fun to get out there for the first time this year, put the pads on and go out there and play a game.”

Offensive coordinator Davis Webb said Nix may have a little rust after not playing for so long, but he wants to see a clean operation, but, perhaps most importantly, just to have fun and enjoy being back on the field.

“Just kind of get all the feels back, whether that be pregame warmups, running out with the team, getting your first completion, getting hit for the first time, getting the first down and hopefully a touchdown,” Webb said. “Just feel those emotions, deep breathe it out and then go watch the rest of the guys play.”

Payton said this week the plan for Nix will be about 14 plays, so a couple of drives, depending on how productive the offense is early in the game.

Webb, meanwhile, has called plays in two preseason games over the past two years, but this will be his first time calling plays for Nix in a game.

Payton said the offensive operation ran smoothly with Webb at the controls against Atlanta. Now, Nix for the first time gets to play in a game with Webb as the voice in his helmet. It����ap a fascinating dynamic overall and one that will be interesting to watch play out through the rest of the preseason and into the regular season.

Does Jaylen Waddle make his Broncos debut?

Speaking of firsts, might Broncos fans get a first look at No. 17 on Friday? Waddle was nursing a muscle strain and didn’t make the trip to Atlanta this week, but he’s been back in pads and practicing fully this week for Denver.

Still, there’s a chance the Broncos will continue to play it safe and hold him out against the Packers.

He’s certainly looked healthy the past couple of days, though. Waddle creates separation effortlessly in many different areas of the field. Not only does that make him a dangerous player in his own right, but it has also created opportunities and clean looks for teammates in practice.

If Waddle gets time Friday night, it likely won’t be much — almost certainly not more than Nix plays. It would certainly be interesting to see him and Nix get some run together, though.

Centering on a position of interest

As training camp’s gone along, two things have become clear: Starting center Luke Wattenberg has made steady progress toward returning to full action since getting hurt more than two weeks ago. Also, though, depth at the position is a question. Alex Forsyth is widely regarded as one of the smartest players on the team and he’s played well in big spots before. At the same time, he wasn’t having a great camp even before he got hurt and now he’s been in and out of practice. Forsyth didn’t play Friday but returned to practice Monday. Then he wasn’t present on Tuesday and was on hand but not participating on Wednesday.

If Wattenberg and Forsyth each end up healthy by the end of camp, that����ap good news for the Broncos. Each, though, has clearly been impacted so far this summer. If Forsyth misses more time or if his performance doesn’t even out, is the door left open for Calvin Throckmorton or perhaps somebody else to make a run at the No. 2 center job?

Young LBs get a chance

Rookie inside linebacker Red Murdock had eight tackles on Friday. His normal running mate, Taurean York, got considerable praise from defensive coordinator Vance Joseph this week. Karene Reid tipped the ball that turned into Jahdae Barron’s pick-six. Jordan Turner just returned to action after a recent activation from the non-football injury list.

So, who’s going to make a run? Murdock also calls Denver’s defense when he’s in the game, so that����ap a key piece of the puzzle. Reid and Turner were special teams contributors last year. York is instinctive and fun to watch play, though he’s undersized.

Are there two spots up for grabs? Three would seem the outer limit given Denver’s depth and needs elsewhere. Overall, though, this group is interesting even if it����ap mostly unproven.

Happy returns for young WRs?

With Marvin Mims, Jr. still recovering from an apparent muscle strain, the Broncos’ first two kick returners up for Friday’s game at Atlanta were undrafted rookie wide receivers Cam Ross and Kolbe Katsis. Former UFL standout Sean Fresch Jr. got the first punt return, and Ross worked in, too.

Ross and Katsis, in particular, are part of a group of young wide receivers who may have trouble cracking the 53-man roster, but who could well form a chunk of Denver’s practice squad.

Ross has had the best camp of the group, though he’s also dropped the ball more this week so far. Katsis struggled to catch the ball cleanly earlier in camp but has come on strong. So, too, has Joseph Manjack IV.

“That group in general has had a good week and a half,” Payton said of the young receivers. “They’re getting reps and they’re getting to play. They’re all looking at not only the (53-man) roster. They’re looking at the practice squad or they’re looking at the unknown of another team that has a vision for them. So I’ve been encouraged.”

PUP — OL Nick Gargiulo.

IR — DL Matt Henningsen and OL Michael Deiter.

Did not practice — OLB Drew Sanders, C Alex Forsyth, ILB Levelle Bailey, WR Michael Bandy, TE Caleb Lohner.

The Broncos had the same list of players miss practice on Wednesday as the day before. Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. and center Luke Wattenberg each participated in the early portions of practice but then did conditioning work on the side field during team periods. Given the slow ramp-up for those players, it would be a surprise if they played Friday night against Green Bay. Overall, though, the Broncos appear to be in line to have more players available for their second preseason game than their first. Then it����ap just a matter of the team deciding who plays and who doesn’t.

Jaylen Waddle beats his old teammate for a touchdown

Want to know how good Pat Surtain II is?

He gave up one big play in practice Tuesday and most of his chat with reporters afterward included questions about what happened.

Surtain is widely regarded as the best cornerback in football, so the inquiry was more about whether Waddle talked trash and what Surtain tries to take from the rare practice misstep.

“It����ap practice. At the end of the day, we’re out here getting better,” Surtain said. “It����ap going to be plays like that that happen — you’re going to make plays, sometimes plays like that happen. .. It����ap definitely something you can learn from.”

The play itself was a beauty for the offense. Quarterback Bo Nix had time to step up in the pocket and pat the ball multiple times before uncorking a rainbow that traveled 50-plus yards in the air up the right sideline to Waddle, who was a full stride past Surtain.

It����ap a reminder, mostly, of the multidimensional threat Waddle provides. He consistently creates separation from defensive backs on underneath and intermediate routes. He stops and starts with the best pass-catchers in football. But he also has the long speed to run away from the fastest corners, too.

Offensive coordinator Davis Webb on Tuesday summed it up easily when asked if Waddle needed more time on the practice field — he missed more than a week with a muscle strain — with Bo Nix to create chemistry before the regular season.

Webb pointed to the time the pair and several others spent in Austin, Texas, this summer, as well as their meeting time, as beneficial for communication.

“Timing-wise, that guy’s going to be open and we’re going to throw to him,” Webb said.

Waddle’s already shown the ability to get open at all levels of the field against a talented Broncos secondary, including its best player, Surtain.

“Yeah, I mean, he’s fast,” Surtain said. “He’s pretty fast.”

Thumbs Up

Sticky fingers. Waddle made the play of the day, but the Broncos defense once again was more than up to the task, broadly speaking. Over the course of practice, the defense continually made life difficult on the offense, stopped a pair of two-minute situations and — in a continuation of a trend throughout training camp — took the ball away.

First, second-year outside linebacker Que Robinson picked off Jarrett Stidham on a pass to the flat that likely would have been returned for a touchdown. Stidham had an offensive lineman pushed back into his lap and couldn’t get a clean throw off for Jaleel McLaughlin in the flat.

Later, in the two-minute drill, the situation was end-of-half in a tie game, so the offense was looking for a touchdown but willing to take any points. Sam Ehlinger started a drive in good shape with a 22-yard completion to Cam Ross and a 4-yard gain out of bounds to tight end Nate Adkins.

He tried Adkins down the right sideline on second-and-6 with 30 seconds left, though, and substantially underthrew the ball. Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine easily picked the pass off, ending practice.

Thumbs Down

When the No. 1 offense had its turn in the two-minute in the same set of circumstances, the drive quickly turned into a slog. Nix opened the drive with a completion to Waddle, but would likely have been sacked by Nik Bonitto on the next play. Instead, he was credited with a throwaway that stopped the clock. The offense used its last timeout after a 6-yard completion to Adam Trautman, who was tackled in bounds with 33 seconds left. The next completion was also tackled in bounds, but instead of spiking the ball, Nix snapped it again and hit Courtland Sutton for 25 yards down to the 23-yard line. Except without a timeout, the clock ran out before Nix could get another snap off. Two drives for the offense where three points would be a fine outcome, but zero points on the board.

“It’ll be good film to look at,” Payton said. … “I’m anxious to watch the film. There’s that cutoff with the clock and then the yards (of the play before). Sometimes it����ap impossible. But that was a ‘down, down’ (for Sutton) and then it����ap a sprint, get set. How fast can we do that and get the ball on the ground?”

Odds and Ends

* The plan for Friday against Green Bay is for Nix to play about 14 plays, Payton said Wednesday. Payton had already said last week that Nix was in line to make his debut and that the plan was similar to the one the Broncos had last week in Atlanta for the starters who played.

* One day after the Broncos had a big scuffle — Sean Payton’s term Wednesday — cooler heads prevailed. Payton said he watched the video of the incident after practice and then, in the evening, addressed his team on a related matter. This fall, the New York replay office is able to review fights, scuffles, kerfuffles, and all manner of extracurricular activities and will have the authority to eject players upon review. Payton showed examples of situations and told his players it will be more difficult to get away with being the instigator or with any involvement in a fight.

Then he had a message about the group’s scuffle earlier in the day.

“Just let me know the game where we’re fighting and then obviously we’re not as concerned about winning that game,” Payton said. “Then I can kind of measure up the (other) head coach, see where we go and we can all get ejected. The games are too important.”

* Cornerback Reese Taylor is an interesting conversation in terms of the 53-man roster. The club clearly likes him. He spent the stretch run of the regular season last year on the active roster and became a special teams regular. But the Broncos are also deep in the secondary and have a No. 2 nickel in Jahdae Barron, plus coverage on their outside corners in Barron and Abrams-Draine. Taylor made a heck of a play Wednesday in team drills, knocking a ball away from Cam Ross. It would have been close on whether Ross controlled the catch first, but the defense reacted as if it were a forced fumble.

The rookie running back logged 14 snaps Friday night at Atlanta and drew rave reviews from head coach Sean Payton.

When Denver hit the practice field again on Monday, the praise for Coleman was no less notable from the head coach.

After Coleman’s fourth carry, a 7-yard gain with 47 seconds left in the first quarter and the starting offensive line still in the game, Payton had seen enough.

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There was a point, I think he had (four carries), and, ‘Alright, I’ve seen enough.’ I’ve seen enough (at practice). It����ap just your instincts relative to the evening and who’s playing.

“I didn’t need to see additional evidence of what I’ve been seeing for three weeks.”

Coleman is trending toward being a real part of Denver’s running back rotation with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey from the outset of this season. Exactly how heavy a workload the Broncos ask Dobbins to carry out of the gate and also who earns third-down and two-minute work between Harvey and Coleman will go a long way in determining how many snaps Coleman sees early on, but he’s impressed so far.

“Good balance. Real good elusive runner for his size,” Payton said. “I’d say good short-area quickness, good balance and the other night we had a few examples of that.”

There have already been comparisons drawn stature-wise between Coleman and long-time NFL standout Maurice Jones-Drew, though Payton wasn’t willing to go that far just yet.

“I’m not ready to comp a young player that early, but I like his balance,” Payton said. “You don’t feel a young player at practice.”

Good day on the injury front. The Broncos got a pair of key players back to practice Monday in wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and center Alex Forsyth.

Waddle missed all of last week with a muscle strain, but looked like a full participant on Monday.

“We’ve got a lot of time still,” Payton said of working the receiver back into the offensive rhythm. “We’ve got good work this week, this weekend. There’s been a lot of time on task already.

“We’re being smart with it and he’s coming along really good. We’ll see how this week unfolds.”

Others who returned to practice include TE Nate Adkins and guard Alex Palczewski.

Receiver Marvin Mims, Jr. and starting center Luke Wattenberg, meanwhile, were still on the side field but continue to make progress. Mims ran what looked like near full speed during his conditioning work on the side. Also on the side field: OLB Drew Sanders (had a sack in Friday’s game) and WR Michael Bandy.

Too early to tell on Levelle: ILB Levelle Bailey sustained a fracture in his lower leg Friday against Atlanta, sources told The Post over the weekend.

Asked if Payton thought Bailey had a chance to return at some point during the season, the coach said, “Too early to say. I think that’d be tough to answer right now.”