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¶¶Ņõap just a matter of the team deciding who plays and who doesnā€™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.

ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap practice. At the end of the day, weā€™re out here getting better,ā€ Surtain said. ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap going to be plays like that that happen — youā€™re going to make plays, sometimes plays like that happen. .. It¶¶Ņõap definitely something you can learn from.ā€

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¶¶Ņõap 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.

ā€œTiming-wise, that guyā€™s going to be open and weā€™re going to throw to him,ā€ Webb said.

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

ā€œYeah, I mean, heā€™s fast,ā€ Surtain said. ā€œHeā€™s pretty fast.ā€

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 couldnā€™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.

ā€œItā€™ll be good film to look at,ā€ Payton said. ā€¦ ā€œIā€™m anxious to watch the film. Thereā€™s that cutoff with the clock and then the yards (of the play before). Sometimes it¶¶Ņõap impossible. But that was a ā€˜down, downā€™ (for Sutton) and then it¶¶Ņõap a sprint, get set. How fast can we do that and get the ball on the ground?ā€

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 Paytonā€™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 groupā€™s scuffle earlier in the day.

ā€œJust let me know the game where weā€™re fighting and then obviously weā€™re not as concerned about winning that game,ā€ Payton said. ā€œThen 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.ā€

* 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.

Sean Paytonā€™s fourth Denver team starts out on its 2026 journey with a preseason opener that kicks off at 5 p.m. in Atlanta.

Last time the Broncos were on the field, they came up four points shy of a trip to the Super Bowl with a 10-7 AFC Championship Game loss to New England at Empower Field in late January.

Jarrett Stidham started for injured Bo Nix, Vance Josephā€™s defense dominated and a second-half snowstorm turned a slugfest into a stalemate.

Nix wonā€™t be back on the field Friday for Denverā€™s preseason debut — heā€™s healthy enough to play, Payton says, and heā€™s been a full participant in training camp, but he wonā€™t play until next week. So, Stidham and Sam Ehlinger will run the Broncosā€™ offense while offensive coordinator Davis Webb calls plays.

Payton said he expects most of his healthy starters to play around 15 snaps against the Falcons, but there are several starters who arenā€™t entirely healthy, especially on offense. It will be a surprise if receivers Jaylen Waddle and Marvin Mims play. Same with center Luke Wattenberg and key offensive line reserves Alex Forsyth and Alex Palczewski. Will J.K. Dobbins, whom Payton said had a soft tissue issue pop up earlier this week, or receiver Courtland Sutton — recipient of several rest days so far in camp ā€” be out there? Stalwarts like corner Pat Surtain II? If so, their appearances will be fairly brief.

Here are six other storylines to watch.

Can Jarrett Stidham or Sam Ehlinger make a move in the QB2 race?

Payton has downplayed the race to be Nixā€™s primary backup, but it¶¶Ņõap been shaping up to be a good one. Outside of a completely outlier performance (to the good or to the bad), it seems unlikely that one half each for Stidham and Ehlinger on Friday will decide the race. Still, this is an important waypoint. Ehlinger looks more comfortable in his second season with the Broncos. Stidhamā€™s been up and down in camp, but heā€™s got equity built up with Nix and with the coaching staff and front office.

ā€œTheyā€™ve been great,ā€ Webb said recently. ā€˜Stiddy,ā€™ heā€™s in Year 4 (in Denver). Heā€™s spot played for us very well. Sam has grown tremendously from last year to this year. Weā€™re really fortunate to have three really good quarterbacks. Not every organization can say that. We can. And we trust all three if they had to play.

ā€œIā€™m really looking forward to those guys in the preseason.ā€

The first question: Whoā€™s No. 2? After that, the conversation turns to whether Denver decides to keep all three on the 53-man roster at the end of the month.

How do Jonah Coleman and the rookies look?

For Denverā€™s rookie draft picks and several undrafted free agents, this will be their first time on a game field in an NFL uniform.

As it happens, several of the Broncosā€™ rookies play positions that are among the toughest to evaluate in training camp.

Fourth-round running back Jonah Coleman has looked comfortable and flashed decisiveness and vision in practice. Still, the Broncos donā€™t tackle to the ground in camp. That makes Friday the best look yet at what Denver may have in the former University of Washington back. There is similar intrigue for third-round defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim, fourth-round offensive lineman Kage Casey, Denverā€™s pair of Day 3 tight end selections and also a pair of undrafted offensive linemen in tackle Tyler Miller and Gavin Ortega. Given the Broncosā€™ run of injuries at center, expect Ortega in particular to get a ton of work. Among Denverā€™s rookie receivers, Cam Ross and Kolbe Katsis have produced most consistently in camp.

Will the camp standouts carry their momentum over to games?

There are a handful of players who have been obvious standouts in training camp so far and theyā€™re at various points of their careers and the depth chart. The short list: Receiver Pat Bryant, cornerback Riley Moss and defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike.

Moss counts squarely among the starters who, assuming he plays, likely will be in just for a couple of series.

Bryant and Uwazurike could get more run than that. Both played roles as key reserves last year and each look primed to take big steps forward this fall. They donā€™t need eye-popping stat lines against the Falcons, but watching each will be interesting nonetheless.

How loud of a preseason can Jahdae Barron have?

Expect Barron to see time in different spots during Denverā€™s three preseason games. The 2025 first-round pick played outside, in the slot and as the starting defenseā€™s dime back so far through training camp. Barring some kind of major injury or change, it appears Barron is tracking toward being a primary reserve to Jaā€™Quan McMillian and on the perimeter, too. Will his workload be tilted one way or the other in preseason games? And can he build a little momentum heading into the regular season despite not knowing exactly how much heā€™ll be on the field?

Does Denver have enough depth at inside linebacker and safety?

The Broncos appear to be at least wondering the same question because they worked out veteran safety Taylor Rapp on Wednesday. The seeming front-runner as the next man in at safety behind Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga is Devon Key. The third inside linebacker is wide open, with Levelle Bailey, Red Murdock, Karene Reid, Taurean York and just-back-from-injury Jordan Turner in the mix. Turner could move up fast if he stays healthy from here, but the rookie Murdock has been playing well in camp lately, too.

Whatā€¦ exactly is the plan at tight end?

Nix talked recently about the team using Evan Engram in a little bit more of an all-around manner during camp rather than the more exclusively big slot-type role he held last year. Barring a surprise release, Engram and Adam Trautman are the starting point for the room.

After that, it gets difficult to tell. Nate Adkins was putting together a solid camp but has missed the past couple days. Lucas Krull has been quietly solid and has made more plays recently. Rookies Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley have been quiet so far but will get a bunch of preseason run. Caleb Lohner drew real praise from Payton this spring but has been out all of camp and was seen recently watching practice with a walking boot on his left foot. Timeā€™s running short for him to get back and make himself a real factor early in the season.

Bottom line: Thereā€™s a lot to sort out and five players for two spots or three at the max behind Engram and Trautman.

Physically Unable to Perform — OL Nick Gargiulo (knee)

Injured reserve — DL Matt Henningsen (Achilles)

Did not practice — WR Jaylen Waddle (muscle strain), WR Marvin Mims Jr. (groin), WR Michael Bandy, C Luke Wattenberg (shoulder), C Alex Forsyth, TE Caleb Lohner (foot/ankle), OLB Dasan McCullough.

Left practice —Ā C Michael Deiter

The Broncos are running low on healthy centers

Eventually, the Broncos expect to have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL with all five starters back for a third year together.

Regardless of how many snaps the other starters play Friday in Atlanta, who is snapping the ball could be a storyline to follow after another depth center went down with an injury Tuesday. Michael Dieter was injured during a running play. The Broncos’ training staff examined his right leg before he needed help onto a cart to exit the practice field.

Dieter is the third center to sustain an injury during camp. The team’s starter, Luke Wattenberg, sustained a shoulder injury early last week. He’s been in pads the past couple of days but has not participated beyond stretching.

“Weā€™ll work through it,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “We have guys that are flexible. Weā€™ll be fine.”

Alex Forsyth has missed the past two days, elevating Dieter to the No. 1 spot. The next man up with Denver’s top three options at center unavailable was rookie undrafted free agent Gavin Ortega. Veteran backup lineman Calvin Throckmorton also took some snaps with quarterback Bo Nix.

Another potential option is all-Pro guard Quinn Meinerz, who took some reps at center earlier in his pro career. Meinerz did some snapping between practice periods Tuesday but did not get any actual reps at the position.

“I sharpen that tool every single year just in case,” Meinerz said. “Iā€™ve got to have it in the back pocket. I know that it¶¶Ņõap important to add that value to the offensive line room in an emergency situation. Even last year against the Chargers at the end of the year, I was technically one snap away from having to go play some center.”

Payton seemed to downplay turning to Meinerz, noting his team still has enough options before him. Meinerz said former Broncos offensive line coach Mike Munchak moved him to center at times during his rookie year in 2020 after he spent a couple of days at Senior Bowl practices getting some reps at the position.

While Meinerz never saw himself as a potential center, that experiment has helped his evolution into one of the NFL’s best guards.

“I learn the offense consistently from a centerā€™s perspective,” Meinerz said. “I think you, as a guard, if you can understand our scheme from a centerā€™s perspective, it will allow you to identify the defense quicker. If a new center comes in, like a younger guy or someone that¶¶Ņõap played guard and center, I can help them identify the ā€˜Mikeā€™ (linebacker) and stuff like that. It¶¶Ņõap a tool I constantly keep sharpened, just in case it¶¶Ņõap needed. I hope I donā€™t have to use that tool, but if I do, Iā€™m ready.”

Pat Bryant’s impressive camp continues

While new No. 1 wide receiver Jaylen Waddle continues to miss time with a muscle strain, second-year wideout Pat Bryant continued to be one of the stars of this camp Tuesday. He went up high over a defender to haul in a touchdown pass from Nix on a fourth-down play during a best-on-best team period, much to the delight of the fans in attendance — and his teammates.

“Pat Bryant, man, he’s a guy who literally can do everything on the field,” Broncos star linebacker Nik Bonitto said. “I mean, you see it — he’s making amazing play after amazing play every day. He’s out here and just his route running, all the things he does for the offense. He’s going to be a player for sure.”

Undrafted rookie wideout Kolbe Kastis also had an acrobatic touchdown catch on a pass from Sam Ehlinger late in practice during a two-minute drill.

Thumbs up

Under the radar? It’s not often a player with 104 targets to his name in the previous season flies under the radar, but that might be happening a bit with Troy Franklin. The third-year wide receiver hasn’t made the laundry list of highlight-reel grabs that Bryant has, but he’s been steady in camp. It’s not going to be easy for anybody to carve out a big role in the passing game behind Waddle, Sutton and maybe Bryant, but Franklin’s come a long way from his rookie year in 2024 in terms of understanding the offense and the ability to play multiple positions.

Thumbs down

Leave that one in the bag … During one situational period, the No. 1 offense faced a fourth down from the 22-yard line with seconds remaining and down six points. Nix ended up rolling to his right and tried to force a ball to a double-covered R.J. Harvey near the front-right corner of the end zone. It fell incomplete. If the Broncos face a similar scenario in a game, expect them to try something else.

Odds and ends

*Ā  The past couple of practices have focused pretty heavily on specific situations during team scrimmage periods. It’s been a staple for Payton-coached teams. The Broncos went 11-2 in one-score games in 2025, tying an NFL record for most one-score wins and playing a huge role in the team’s ability to both win the AFC West and land the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

“Well, the situational part of the game, there’s like 53 — a lot of them are two-minute related — that come up each week,” Payton said. “It’s knowing how to react, knowing how to react defensively to what they’re thinking, offensively to what we’re thinking. You want to get to a point where you know them cold.”

* Bonitto has improved his sack total each year since entering the league, and has finished in the top-10 of the defensive player of the year each of the past two seasons. He has 27.5 sacks over the past two years. One of the resources at his disposal that has helped fuel his ascension? The guy he faces in practice, left tackle Garett Bolles.

“He’s been in this league for so long, and he’s gone against so many different types of rushers,” Bonitto said. “He’s probably, in my opinion, the best as a pass blocker in the game for sure. I’m always trying to just pick his brain about things, and what can help me in my game, and just how I can take that next step as a rusher to improve myself.”

* The Broncos opened the week with a pair of long practices in pads — “two bangers in a row,” All-Pro guard Quinn Meinerz told The Post ā€” and now will transition to preparing for their preseason opener at Atlanta, which is Friday. Wednesday’s practice, originally slated to be open to the public, is instead closed and will be more of a game-planning session. Or at least as much of one as happens in the preseason. “It’ll be a couple evenings, call it two practices and maybe a walkthrough. Again, the most important thing is just getting the proper evaluation on (your own) guys.”

Physically Unable to Perform list — OL Nick Gargiulo (knee).

Injured reserve ā€” DL Matt Henningsen (Achilles)

Did not practice ā€” WR Jaylen Waddle (muscle strain), WR Marvin Mims Jr., C Luke Wattenberg (shoulder), C Alex Forsyth, TE Caleb Lohner (foot/ankle), OLB Dasan McCullough

Left practice ā€” RB J.K. Dobbins (soft tissue), WR Michael Bandy

Consider Sean Payton officially concerned about the Broncosā€™ injury situation.

Denver, through its first 11 days on the field, has only lost one player to what is known to be a serious injury ā€” that was Matt Henningsen, who tore his Achilles on Friday ā€” but several key players have missed time with soft-tissue injuries. Receiver Jaylen Waddle strained a muscle last week and hasnā€™t been back on the field since. Marvin Mims Jr. was in pads Monday after leaving practice Friday. That day, he pulled up while running a deep route and grabbed near his groin on the left side, hobbling off the field.

Then Monday, running back J.K. Dobbins jogged off the field midway through practice with training staff behind. Payton said Dobbins had a ā€œsoft tissueā€ injury.

That continues a trend Payton mentioned off the top Monday.

ā€œWeā€™ve got to get a handle on some of the soft-tissues,ā€ he said. ā€œWeā€™ve had a couple either strains, hamstring or groins. We continue to fight through that.ā€

Payton said he didnā€™t think the uptick was due to the heat, but said, ā€œyou always try to look at your pre-practice routine. Your hydration, obviously. And it¶¶Ņõap incumbent on the player. It¶¶Ņõap hard for anyone to know your soft tissue. Iā€™m always looking at maybe what we did leading up to the period when a guy had a strain.

Dobbins, of course, has not played a full season due to various injuries in his career, but earlier in training camp, he ā€œpinky promisedā€ heā€™d stay healthy this fall, play in all 17 regular-season games,Ā and win the NFLā€™s rushing title.

Payton had the Broncos out for a long practice Monday and finished it not only with some conditioning work ā€” that¶¶Ņõap not uncommon ā€” but also with a ā€œwarm-downā€ period of stretching on the field. That was a first for this training camp for sure and perhaps the first time since Payton became the coach in Denver.

Payton often points out that the Broncos have been among the least-injured teams in the NFL during his tenure here.

ā€œIf we’re second in the NFL with fewest games missed, man, that’s extremely important,ā€ Payton said in January after Denverā€™s season ended. ā€œYou guys saw in 2022 (under coach Nathaniel Hackett) where there’s over 125 player-games missed because of injury and no one played in the preseason. There werenā€™t ever pads on. We’re never doing that.ā€

Denverā€™s regular season doesnā€™t begin for five weeks, but Payton is clearly trying to send a message already.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Mims and center Luke Wattenberg were in pads but didnā€™t do anything after stretching. Theyā€™re each making progress toward full returns, though. ILB Jordan Turner came off the non-football injury list and practiced for the first time.

Bo Nix had a good sequence on a run-heavy day

The Broncos had multiple team periods of all running plays, but quarterback Bo Nix turned in a good sequence later in practice. After starting with an incompletion to Troy Franklin, Nix hit three straight for good gains. First was a quick throw to Pat Bryant for what looked like first-down yardage. Then Nix dropped a perfect back-shoulder throw on Courtland Sutton for about 30. Then he came back to Franklin over the middle for around 20.

Thumbs Up

Center of attention. Veteran Michael Deiter is usually an afterthought in conversations about Denverā€™s offensive line, but he stepped in and did double duty on Monday with both Wattenberg and Forsyth down.

Deiter took most of the top-unit reps at center and worked in with the second group, too. There are only so many 53-man roster spots if the offensive line group is healthy come September, but Wattenberg and Forsyth have both dealt with injuries in recent seasons. If Deiterā€™s a trusted third, heā€™ll probably at least have a standing offer on a practice squad spot.

Kickers are people, too. Wil Lutz had a gripe with reporters and a warranted one Monday. He stepped to the podium after practice and said, ā€œI made a field goal from 73 yards the other day and none of you said a word. But Brandon Jones hits an extra point and my timeline is going off.ā€ Fair point, Wil. It wasnā€™t easy to see the yardages Lutz was kicking off a stick from last week when he hit from 73, but it was clear he had the fansā€™ full attention and they were lavishing cheers on him as he kept moving further and further back. Lutz suggested a kicker appreciation day. Next time he hits from 73, it¶¶Ņõap his.

Thumbs Down

Not a day for the snappers. The Broncos had trouble with the snap on Monday. In more ways than one. First, undrafted rookie Gavin Ortega had trouble with some snaps to Jarrett Stidham. Ortega has been playing center in camp but got bumped up the depth chart Monday with both Wattenberg and Forsyth out. Then later in the session, undrafted rookie long snapper air-mailed holder Jeremy Crawshaw on a field goal attempt. Better a Monday camp practice than a regular-season game, but misfires like those arenā€™t going to help when it comes down to evaluating practice squad spots, position battles and more later in August.

Ball security isā€¦ The Broncos also got a look at some of their down-roster kick and punt returning options on Monday with Mims out and Bandy leaving midway through practice. Return ability is one of the key factors Denver used in identifying some of its undrafted wide receiver targets this spring. While Cam Ross has been consistent catching the ball both on offense and in the return game, Kolbe Katsis has struggled with punts and kicks. On Monday alone, he bobbled two.

Odds and Ends

* The Broncos had one of their longer practices of camp Monday, pushing right to 12:29 p.m. before the double horn blew at the end of the ā€œwarm downā€ stretching that closed the session. Payton missed most of Friday and all of Saturdayā€™s practice, but Denver spent just about the maximum amount of time possible on the field for his return. Payton said the Broncos will have a normal camp practice on Tuesday and then spend most of Wednesdayā€™s practice preparing for their preseason opener on Friday in Atlanta.

* Deiter, an eight-year NFL veteran who has played in 92 career games, not only served as Denverā€™s top center on Monday, but he played well in one-on-ones, too. Twice he was able to anchor against D.J. Jones and hold the rugged nose tackle at bay. Rookie Kage Casey had another good day in one-on-ones, too, and right tackle Mike McGlinchey had a good rep on Jonathon Cooper. Defensively, Zach Allen drew an obvious hold on Ben Powers and Jordan Jackson put a punishing bull-rush on Calvin Throckmorton.

* The Broncosā€™ run-heavy script on Monday meant a ton of work for RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman. Colemanā€™s been more consistent than Harvey between the tackles, but Nix likes what he sees from Harvey so far this training camp, too.

ā€œHeā€™s done a great job of improving in the little things,ā€ Nix said. ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap easy for a running back, once he gets the football, to go and be a playmaker. I think it¶¶Ņõap underrated what he does out of the backfield, in protection, in multiple different run looks. Weā€™ve asked him to do a lot more this offseason and in this training camp, and heā€™s responded really well. You can tell heā€™s growing and learning more as time goes and it¶¶Ņõap not all new for him.ā€

* Nix had interesting insight into veteran tight end Evan Engram and what might unlock better production this fall. Engram caught 50 balls for 461 yards last year, but everybody involved finished the season feeling like he had something of an underwhelming first season in Denver. So far in training camp, Nix said, Engramā€™s been used somewhat differently to the pass-heavy splits in his playing time last fall.

ā€œHis ability to strengthen the run game is what¶¶Ņõap showing right now,ā€ Nix said. ā€œHeā€™s a willing blocker. Last year we used him a little bit more as a vertical pass threat, but I think him getting in the box and blocking is going to open some more things up. That¶¶Ņõap a game-plan thing, that¶¶Ņõap a coaching thing to put him in that position. But I also think heā€™s willing and able and that¶¶Ņõap part of his game I think heā€™s really going to be able to show off this year and not have to be on and off the field. Heā€™ll just be able to play, he and (Adam Trautman) will be able to roll and just be able to do anything we ask them to do from that position.ā€

Next: 10 a.m. Tuesday. Parking opens at 8 a.m. and gates at 9 a.m.

Sean Paytonā€™s team took the field six straight days —Ā the last without him and several others as they traveled to Ohio for Drew Breesā€™ induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ā€” and came out the other side with a lot of work banked.

A week from now, Denver will have already played a preseason game at Atlanta.

The roster cutdown is three weeks away.

The Broncos open their season on Monday Night Football at Kansas City in 36 days.

OK, that¶¶Ņõap still a ways out, but the countdown is now on.

Jobs arenā€™t won and lost in the first week-plus of camp, but weā€™ve seen a lot of the Broncos and learned a lot, too.

Here are nine quick thoughts after 10 days on the field.

The Broncos offense is going to feelā€¦ different.

It¶¶Ņõap not yet clear how, but it¶¶Ņõap become increasingly clear that Denverā€™s offense is going to look and feel different with Davis Webb at the controls. Players talk about slightly different formations, slightly adjusted routes, more motion and changed assignments. Webb, Payton and company must decide what they want to hang their hat on in the run game, and that answer hasnā€™t availed itself to onlookers yet. Webb himself talked about offensive identity taking the early part of the season to form. But the notion that this is just going to be Webb calling plays off Paytonā€™s sheet feels off. There might be plenty of Payton stuff to go along with some fresh ideas, but it will be with Webbā€™s spin, tempo and sequencing.

“I feel like Davis is doing a really good job of communicating with me and not over-communicating, but just give me a few things here and there,” quarterback Bo Nix said recently. “Reminders, little things about a play, like, ā€˜Hey, donā€™t forget this. Hey, remember you have this.ā€™ So I think that¶¶Ņõap going to be great as we go with that communication in my ear.

“Heā€™s been waiting for this moment for a long time. Heā€™s been preparing for this, and heā€™s really put us in a good spot.ā€

“He’s got a bunch of wide-open concepts in practice because of shifts and motions,” Joseph said Saturday. “He’s worked very hard from the spring to now to put together and it looks really good. … The shifts and motions and the window dressing pre-snap has been good for all of us to see.”

The Broncos defense is going to look mostly the same

Vance Josephā€™s defense, on the other hand, doesnā€™t have much need for change. Joseph has most of the same players back, and they know what theyā€™re doing. It¶¶Ņõap been PhD ball for a veteran, cohesive group early in camp. If it ainā€™t broke, donā€™t fix it. Joseph will tweak and adjust because you have to in the NFL, but this recipe hits just fine.

“You’re not coming into camp kind of stressed about learning,” veteran linebacker Alex Singleton said. “That’s the hardest thing when you go to a new team or have new guys where you’re teaching guys, ā€˜Hey, this is our check in this situation.ā€™ No, instead it’s, all 11 guys know.

“So, we’re one step ahead of where we would’ve been last year or the year before that at this time of the year.ā€

Ehlinger has a real shot at the No. 2 QB job

Sam Ehlingerā€™s had two days running the No. 2s so far in camp, which may not seem like a lot, but it¶¶Ņõap two more than he got in all of last yearā€™s camp. After the first, Payton said, basically, nothing to see here. It looks like something to see, though. In fact, it feels like Ehlingerā€™s making a real run at the gig. The Broncos like both Ehlinger and Jarrett Stidham and could keep all three on the 53-man roster despite a deep group and a good argument for keeping an extra guy somewhere else. But if Ehlinger plays well in the preseason — remember, he was pretty darn sharp last year ā€” the Broncos will have a decision to make. Plus, if youā€™re toying with the idea of change after one guy has had the job for three seasons, you might just be looking for a reason to change.

Uwazurike might be a real problem for opposing offenses

The biggest loss on Denverā€™s defense was supposed to be John Franklin-Myers. It may still be, but the Broncosā€™ defensive line has been rolling so far in camp. Nobody in that group looks primed for a bigger leap than Eyioma Uwazurike, whom veteran D.J. Jones recently called ā€œunblockableā€ and ā€œscary.ā€ Uwazurike is a force against the run and has budding pass-rush potential.

ā€œIā€™m proud of him because, you guys know this, in our sport, any sport really, to just be out for a year can be difficult,” Payton said of Uwazurike, who was suspended for the entire 2023 season for violating the league’s gambling policy. “Heā€™s really come back, developed. Heā€™s strong, heā€™s big, and heā€™s having a real good start to camp. So I think you have to look at it as one less year than what¶¶Ņõap listed because of the year out.

“Heā€™s doing really well.ā€

Malcolm Roach has seen an uptick in pass-rush reps, too. Can they generate consistent pressure in real games? Time will tell on that, but those two plus rookie Tyler Onyedim and second-year man Saiā€™Vion Jones ā€” he’s stronger this summer but might have already fallen behind the rookie ā€” look poised to fill the substantial gap JFM left.

There are two major questions on defense, even if they donā€™t seem pressing

Funny enough, while the d-line looks capable of covering up for JFM, the two biggest question marks on Josephā€™s defense now are who replaces Dre Greenlaw at ILB and P.J. Locke at safety. You might say, what¶¶Ņõap the big deal? A No. 3 inside ā€™backer and a No. 3 safety canā€™t be that hard to figure out. Greenlaw played 324 snaps, though, and Locke played 173 after Brandon Jones was hurt. Of the Broncosā€™ four starters at linebacker and safety, only Justin Strnad has not dealt with a serious injury in the past two seasons.

Right now, the next man in at each spot looks like Levelle Bailey at ILB and Devon Key at S. Will that be the case come Sept. 14? Key’s in a strong position, but Bailey may have to fend off rookie seventh-rounder Red Murdock, who’s starting to make plays more consistently as camp moves toward its third week.

Bryant is making an early claim as Denverā€™s third wide receiver

Troy Franklin had 104 targets last year. Marvin Mims Jr. is putting together the best training camp of his career so far. But Pat Bryant, the second-year player out of Illinois, looks like the man. He makes plays day in and day out, and heā€™s got a complete skill set. Heā€™s tough in the middle of the field. He can run after the catch. Heā€™s Denverā€™s best blocking receiver, too. That¶¶Ņõap the profile of a guy who is going to play a lot. ā€œItā€™ll be easy creating his role,ā€ Payton said despite talking repeatedly about how stiff the competition is at receiver.

ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap healthy competition is what we like to call it,” Bryant said Friday. “At the end of the day, everybodyā€™s job is on the line, but to come out here and compete, push each other, make sure everybodyā€™s doing their job, helping each other out when it¶¶Ņõap needed. At the end of the day, we all have the same goal: let¶¶Ņõap go out there and win.ā€

Thereā€™s another wrinkle here: Courtland Sutton has no guaranteed money left after 2026. The Broncos will have to pay Jaylen Waddle sometime either next year or not far beyond. Denverā€™s been holding Sutton back this week in camp as part of a ā€œload-managementā€ protocol. Is a dip from 86% playing time next?

Lohner had a golden chance to make a push, but is missing out

Payton spoke glowingly about the second-year tight end who played just a handful of college snaps earlier this spring, but Caleb Lohner has yet to practice due to injury. Heā€™s watched from off the field in recent days with a boot on his left foot. Perhaps heā€™ll be back to turning heads soon, but for now it¶¶Ņõap a missed opportunity because the Denver tight end room looks wide open.

Adam Trautman and Evan Engram have big roles, but there are just not a ton of splash plays and the rest of the room is a bit of a jumble. If Lohner gets back to being a rugged blocker with some athleticism in the passing game, he could still be a 2026 surprise.

Denverā€™s got real depth on the edge ā€“ and is clearly standing behind Cooper

The Broncos sent a clear message at the outset of training camp that theyā€™re standing behind Jonathon Cooper ā€” heā€™s facing a felony assault charge and other lesser charges related to a pair of domestic violence arrests in June ā€” and Payton indicated the club believes there may be a resolution to the proceedings soon. Even if that happens, Cooper will still be subject to a potential NFL suspension. Regardless of his status at the start of the regular season, the Broncos have enviable depth on the edge. Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman are trusted rotation members from a year ago, Que Robinson has played well in camp so far, and Drew Sanders is healthy, as well.

Payton thinks he finally has the Broncos running back room right

Payton and Co. really muddled through the first two years of his tenure here at running back. A 2025 overhaul brought in J.K. Dobbins via free agency and RJ Harvey via the draft, but the group never felt like it quite fit together neatly, and then it fell off a cliff when Dobbins was injured. Now with rookie Jonah Coleman added to Dobbins and Harvey, Paytonā€™s got a trio he loves. ā€œWeā€™re a lot further along in that position group than maybe ā€” well, I know we are (better) than three years ago.ā€

Colemanā€™s made quite an impression in the building already as a rookie. Whether he or Harvey ends up the third down and two-minute back remains to be seen, but Denverā€™s got talent and depth rather than one or the other for the first time in Paytonā€™s tenure.

Physically Unable to Perform list: OL Nick Gargiulo (knee).

Non-football injury list: ILB Jordan Turner.

Did not practice: WR Jaylen Waddle (muscle strain), WR Marvin Mims Jr., C Luke Wattenberg (shoulder), TE Nate Adkins, TE Caleb Lohner (foot/ankle), DL Matt Henningsen (Achilles), OLB Dasan McCullough, CB Sean Fresch, Jr., K Wil Lutz (at Hall of Fame).

Load management: CB Pat Surtain II, DT Zach Allen, RT Mike McGlinchey, TE Evan Engram.

Left practice: DL Eyioma Uwazurike.

Uwazurikeā€™s injury happened right near the end of practice in a two-minute situation. He walked to the teamā€™s facility without issue, though he was shaking out and flexing his hand, while a member of the medical staff followed him. It¶¶Ņõap worth monitoring in particular because Uwazurike has been one of the stories of camp. The 2022 fourth-round pick has been outstanding in both run support and rushing the passer and looks primed for a breakout season after blossoming into a trusted rotation piece last year.

Mims and Adkins watched practice Saturday, one day after each left with injuries. Mims appears to have avoided serious injury when he pulled up on a deep route Friday.

Waddle moved up to some jogging, progress from previous days after he sustained a muscle strain earlier in the week.

Henningsen (Achilles) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, which officially ends his season.

Bryant, in the midst of a monster camp, made the play of the day

The Broncos staged the closest theyā€™ll get to a scrimmage during camp, though it was still parsed into situations and sets of plays, like a normal camp practice. But after stretch and individual periods, nearly everything Denver did on a blistering-hot Saturday morning was 11-on-11.

Perhaps not surprisingly given the way training camp has gone so far, second-year wide receiver Pat Bryant made the play of the day.

Operating in the red zone, Bo Nix faced quick pressure in the pocket after the snap and had no play but to throw the ball up. He lofted it almost blind into the back-right corner of the end zone. Bryant, working toward the corner, went up high over both Jaā€™Quan McMillan and Jahdae Barron, high-pointed the ball and toe-tapped near the back pylon for a touchdown.

It was a terrific play, maybe the best of camp so far, and a continuation of an impressive training camp for the 2025 third-round pick out of Illinois.

ā€œMan, ā€˜Patty Iceā€™ has had some really, really good practices,ā€ offensive coordinator Davis Webb said Saturday. ā€¦ ā€œPat is very, very savvy. Smart. When he catches the ball his feet are on the ground. Those are the things we were attracted to when he was coming out of Illinois. It¶¶Ņõap really, really cool to see him take another jump this early into Year 2.ā€

Davis Webbā€™s nickname for Pat Bryant: ā€œPatty Ice.ā€

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel)

Consider defensive coordinator Vance Joseph sold. Entirely sold.

ā€œHe made two (plays) today that were unbelievable, but that¶¶Ņõap been all camp,ā€ Joseph said. ā€œThat¶¶Ņõap what he can be. Heā€™s the guy in that room, in my opinion — he blocks, he catches the ball in traffic, he can track the ball vertically, heā€™s great in the red zone. Heā€™s the complete package. Heā€™s got great size, and he loves to play. Heā€™s the same player every day.ā€

Thumbs up

A bounce-back play. This has not been a glorious training camp for former UFL receiver Hakeem Butler. Heā€™s failed to secure contested catches ā€” not great considering heā€™s 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds ā€” and in general hasnā€™t made many plays. He made a terrific one on Saturday, though, jumping high over veteran corner Sam Webb down the sideline to haul in a jump ball from Sam Ehlinger.

Safety valve. The Broncos were rotating through a ton of different players at safety on Saturday with Talanoa Hufanga on a veteran rest day, Brandon Jones not taking a full load of reps and Devon Key working early in practice on the side field. Undrafted rookie Parker Robertson made the most of it in a team period with the No. 3 unit when he closed on a ball thrown behind the receiver over the middle of the field and came down with an interception. Denver quarterbacks havenā€™t thrown many in team settings during camp so far, but Robertson capitalized.

Thumbs down

Rookie moments. Few positions are more difficult to make an impact at than tight end. Justin Joly is learning about the steep climb. He hasnā€™t made many splash plays in camp — though coaches say theyā€™re encouraged by the work heā€™s done overall ā€” and on Saturday the fifth-round pick flat-out dropped a ball on his hands in the middle of the field. It looked as though Joly perhaps lost concentration as outside linebacker Jonah Elliss closed in for what, in a game, would have been a crunching hit.

Odds and ends

* One day after Nix led a surgical two-minute drive for a touchdown, the Broncos defense prevailed twice in nearly identical situations. This time around, Nix and the top offense had 1:22 left, trailing by 4 and 62 yards to go. Nix and Co. pushed the ball into the red zone thanks in part to a 24-yard completion to Troy Franklin, but stalled out there. Nix had to spike the ball after that play to stop the clock, then Courtland Sutton may have been held on second-and-goal, but the ball to him in the end zone fell incomplete. Then Sutton couldnā€™t haul in what looked like a catchable ball along the sideline on third down. Nix tried Franklin again in the back of the end zone on a do-or-die fourth-and-goal, but he was double covered from the start and reserve safety JL Skinner knocked the pass down easily to notch a win for the defense. Sam Ehlinger led the second group and took them briskly down to the 8-yard line before three straight incompletions ā€” third down was a broken play from the start ā€” and a fourth-down sack thanks to Que Robinson and Dondrea Tillman.

* Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph ran practice Saturday along with special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi because Sean Payton was in Canton for Drew Breesā€™ Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement. Joseph, though, laughed off any sense that he had much more responsibility than normal. ā€œSean left a great plan in place,ā€ Joseph said. ā€œIt was more than me. It was the staff, the players. It¶¶Ņõap been scripted for a week and a half. So we all fell in, did our jobs, and now weā€™re done.ā€

* No team wants to punt the ball a lot, but when the Broncos do this fall, they appear to be in good care with second-year man Jeremy Crawshaw. Heā€™s been booming the ball more consistently during camp and on Saturday pounded several high spirals with 5-second-plus hang time. Not only that, but he successfully angled several of them toward the sideline, leaving returners with very little or no chance at returning the ball. Last summer, Payton felt the need to rush the punt team on in the middle of offensive periods multiple times to try to give Crawshaw more game-like feeling because he was shanking far too many. A year later, he looks to be on the right track.

* With McGlinchey getting a rest day Saturday, the Broncos split tackle reps between Alex Palczewski and Frank Crum. Theyā€™ve both had heavy workloads in camp and, not surprisingly, the Broncos clearly want each to be comfortable playing multiple positions. Crum has played a lot of reps at both left and right tackle, while ā€˜Palchoā€™ has seen extensive time at right tackle and left guard. They, in some combination.

* A non-exhaustive list of players who have contributed or been in the picture for the Broncos who appear to be having solid training camps, but havenā€™t made the kind of eye-popping plays that generate buzz or headlines: TE Lucas Krull, WR Michael Bandy, ILB Levelle Bailey and RB Jaleel McLaughlin.

* The Broncos are always looking for talent at cornerback, and undrafted rookie Brent Austin has done some good things in camp. Heā€™s not likely to make the 53-man roster, but the former Cal corner looks like a player worth trying to stash and develop.

* The roster churn is on for the Broncos. In addition to placing Henningsen on injured reserve, Denver also released cornerback Sam Webb. Those moves followed the waiver Friday of injured corner Jaden Robinson. The three new players: Receivers Kyree Duplessis and Kyrese Rowan ā€” they each practiced Saturdayā€” and cornerback Ricardo Hallman. Hallman worked out for the Broncos the same day as Webb last week, but Denver at that time opted for Webb. Now theyā€™ll get a look at Hallman next week instead.

* A true VIP was on hand at Broncos practice Saturday: Mikaela Shiffrin. The worldā€™s most decorated downhill skier watched the latter stages of practice from the sideline and was presented with a No. 110 Broncos jersey. The number, of course, is a nod to the Vail nativeā€™s record number of World Cup victories.

Welcome to , !

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos)

Next: 10 a.m. Monday. Parking opens at 8 a.m. and gates at 9 a.m.

Physically Unable to Perform list — OL Nick Gargiulo. Non-football injury list — ILB Jordan Turner.

Did not practice — WR Jaylen Waddle (muscle strain), C Luke Wattenberg (shoulder), TE Caleb Lohner (foot/ankle), OLB Dasan McCullough, DL D.J. Jones (rest), DL Malcolm Roach (rest), ILB Alex Singleton (rest), LT Garett Bolles (rest), S Brandon Jones (rest).

Left practice — DL Matt Henningsen, WR Marvin Mims Jr. and TE Nate Adkins.

Two Broncos stars moved in the right direction, but it was a brutal day overall on the injury front for the club. First, the good: WR Courtland Sutton was essentially a full participant after three rest days in a row. OLB Nik Bonitto continued to do more work, too. He had pads on and did individual work, though heā€™s not yet back to team reps.

The injuries started early in practice, though, when defensive lineman Matt Henningsen had to be carted off after an injury in individual drills. Henningsen, a source confirmed to The Post, tore his Achilles tendon.

Henningsen was visibly emotional after the injury and had his head in his hands as the cart took him into the Broncosā€™ facility. Making matters even more unfortunate: Friday marked exactly one year since Henningsen ruptured his Achilles in a joint practice against San Francisco. Head coach Sean Payton and others had raved about Henningsenā€™s recovery and about the offseason heā€™d had to this point.

Last year, of course, Henningsen’s August Achilles injury cost him the entire season.

Later in practice, Marvin Mims Jr. was running a deep route and pulled up hobbling while grabbing at his upper left leg. He tossed his helmet on the ground, sat on a water cooler and talked with a trainer before walking into the facility. He walked in with tight end Nate Adkins, who also left practice due to an apparent injury during a team period.

Bo Nix delivered a beauty of a two-minute drill

The Denver defense has regularly had the upper hand in recent days and particularly so in situational practice periods, but the offense hit back on Friday.

Quarterback Bo Nix led a clinical two-minute drive for what would have been a game-winning touchdown.

The situation on the scoreboard: Offense trailing by four with 1 minute, 21 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and one timeout remaining. Ball on the offenseā€™s own 39-yard line.

The drive started with cornerback Riley Moss batting away a pass for Sutton, but then Nix caught fire. He completed passes to Pat Bryant and Evan Engram for a first down, then hit Lilā€™Jordan Humphrey in the middle of the field to get to the 35-yard line. With the clock running and 32 seconds remaining, the offense used its timeout.

Nix then made his best throw of the drive, hitting Sutton again on a deep in-breaker for 27 yards. The drive culminated with an 8-yard lollipop to a wide-open Engram in the back of the end zone. Seven plays, 61 yards and a game-winner with 18 seconds left on a drive that took just 1:03 of game time.

Nix thrives in two-minute and wide-open situations, and that¶¶Ņõap been the case again so far through camp. When the pace is fast, and heā€™s playing in a free-wheeling manner, good things happen more often than not.

Thumbs Up

In the Kage. Broncos rookie offensive Kage Casey has a lot to learn and likely isnā€™t going to be counted on to play on offense right away, but he shows flashes of what Denver liked about him in Aprilā€™s draft. Take a one-on-one period between offensive linemen and defensive front-line players on Friday. He went against fellow rookie and third-round pick Tyler Onyedim three times and stoned him each time. Casey has good hands, gets them in the right place and then has enough power to work from there. Denver coaches and personnel people have thought since the draft that Casey could play any of the five spots over the course of time. So far in camp, heā€™s been predominantly at guard behind Ben Powers. Casey, if all goes well for Denver, may be in for a developmental year, but heā€™s already showing signs of being part of the puzzle down the road.

Thumbs Down

Tough day for tackles. On the other end of the spectrum in one-on-ones, Alex Palczewski and Frank Crum each took their lumps at times. Palczewski got roasted by Jonah Elliss around the edge on one rep. On the next, Elliss set him up to the outside, spun back inside and beat him clean. In those instances, it¶¶Ņõap always possible the tackle knows heā€™s going to have help inside. But Elliss has been a handful overall. Crum had a good rep against Drew Sanders, but he lunged at Dondrea Tillman and fell to the ground as the edge man flew by him on another snap.

Odds and Ends

* Sort of funny with Payton leaving for the airport right after walkthrough, but Friday was Denverā€™s best day running the football so far in camp. The Broncos got good movement up front —Ā Jones and Roach being off for the day undoubtedly didnā€™t hurt that effort ā€” and produced high-quality space between the tackles for most of the Broncosā€™ backs.

* Maybe it’s making a mountain out of a molehill, but Friday’s practice was quiet. Oddly quiet. Not in terms of action but literally. Some of that may be Payton leaving practice early on. Some of it is that Jones and Roach are among the group’s energizer bunnies. Some air seemed to come out of the session after Henningsen’s injury. It’s also the fifth straight day of work. Whatever the reason or reasons, there just wasn’t much juice on Friday.

* Two of the Broncosā€™ undrafted rookie wide receivers are starting to make plays consistently: Cam Ross and Kolbe Katsis. Each was at it again Friday, with Katsis hauling a deep ball and Ross continuing to pop. It¶¶Ņõap a tough route to the 53-man roster, but theyā€™re good, solid practice squad prospects.

* Broncos inside linebacker Justin Strnad said he put on a few pounds of muscle over the course of the offseason, bumping up from 234 pounds to 238 or so. However, then he got sick last week and lost several pounds just ahead of a six-day work week under the Colorado sun. So, Strnad may not be fully back up to the weight he reported at early last week, but he looks comfortable next to Alex Singleton atop Denverā€™s inside linebacker depth chart.

* Speaking of that position, rookie Red Murdock is starting to make plays more and more consistently. He forced a fumble in 7-on-7 on Friday, a hallmark of his collegiate career at Buffalo when he set an FBS record with 17 career forced fumbles. Murdock is a bit undersized, but he has a nose for the ball and seems to end up in the right place at the right time. If he strings more weeks together like this one, heā€™ll push his way toward ā€“ or perhaps well into ā€“ the two-deep.

* The Broncos on Friday signed wide receiver Kyre Duplessis to their roster, a source confirmed to The Post. Duplessis is a rookie who went undrafted in April and spent time recently on Seattleā€™s roster. Duplessis played four years at Coastal Carolina before transferring to Delaware for the 2025 season. He caught 60 passes for 824 yards and five touchdowns last fall for the Blue Hens. In a corresponding move, Denver waived cornerback Jaden Robinson with an injury designation, according to the league’s transaction wire. Robinson spent all of 2025 on the Broncos’ practice squad.

* The Broncos announced Friday morning that they are closing their Wednesday, Aug. 12 training camp practice to the public. The session had originally been slated to be open for fans. Instead, there are just two open days next week — Monday and Tuesday ā€”Ā before the team has the closed practice Wednesday and then travels to Atlanta on Thursday for its Friday preseason opener. Denver is now set to hold 13 total open camp practices.

Next: 10 a.m. Saturday, a modified scrimmage-type practice. Parking opens at 8 a.m. and gates at 9 a.m.

Did not practice: Physically Unable to Perform list —Ā OL Nick Gargiulo. Non-football injury list ā€”Ā ILB Jordan Turner. Did not practice ā€” WR Jaylen Waddle (muscle strain), C Luke Wattenberg (shoulder)Ā , TE Caleb Lohner (foot/ankle), OLB Dasan McCullough. Left practice ā€” LG Ben Powers

The Broncos really got mostly good news on the injury front Thursday. They were not in pads, but star outside linebacker Nik Bonitto returned to practice in a limited capacity, taking walk-through reps. Bonitto watched when the team went full speed and 11-on-11.

Wide receiver Courtland Sutton was limited for a third straight day, but Payton and Sutton each insisted it was due to a workload management plan the club has for the veteran.

Waddle has ā€œa strain,ā€ according to head coach Sean Payton, but is expected to return to practice in four or five days.

Wattenberg didnā€™t practice but had cleats on and a harness on his left shoulder. He did side field conditioning work.

Powers started off practicing but left midway through and wasnā€™t spotted in the later parts of the session. A source said Powers had a planned partial rest day. He, of course, missed nine games with a torn bicep last year and played the final five with a Lisfranc fracture in his foot.

Payton said several players are going to have their workloads managed over the next three days.

RJ Harvey is dynamite in the passing game, but what¶¶Ņõap next?

The Broncos clearly have three running backs pacing the room at this point in J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman.

The question is how those three ā€“ assuming good health ā€“ will fill roles. Dobbins is the lead back, to be sure. Colemanā€™s pass protection experience in college might give him the inside track for third-down work over Harvey, but Payton said recently he thinks Harvey is squarely in the mix for that work, too. The Broncos would love it if heā€™s ready to handle the protection stuff in third-down and two-minute situations because he is dynamite in the passing game and has made a series of big plays as a receiver out of the backfield in training camp already.

What does making a jump in that department look like?

ā€œRJ is certainly starting to see how weā€™re (identifying the Mike linebacker) and where that puts him,ā€ Payton said. ā€œSome of that is just the (college) they come from. But I think he gives us a lot of versatility. ā€¦

ā€œTechnique is one thing, and I think that¶¶Ņõap the easy part. The challenging part is the front and the pieces (to the puzzle). Who the line is going to. Who are you left with? And if youā€™re not careful, you get left staring in the backfield, and you should be out right now. Being able to get into the pattern and then recognize where the pressure is coming from. And how to see it. Usually those back-end safeties are going to move to where the pressure is coming from. All of that is part of it. But the technique, if you have the stature — and he does ā€” that part of it you can quickly polish up on.ā€

Top play

Two candidates from a little further down the depth chart in the middle of a six-day work week.

First, nickel Reese Taylor made a heck of a play to break up a pass from Jarrett Stidham to Michael Bandy over the middle. Bandy leapt and stretched out to try to snag the ball, and for a moment it looked like he would, but Taylor recovered, got his hands on the ball and knocked it away as they went to the ground. He flies under the radar, and the path to the 53-man roster is a rough one, but Taylor was on Denverā€™s active roster down the stretch last season and was a special teams contributor. Heā€™s a valued player, even if he doesnā€™t make the initial roster in a few weeks.

The other: A pretty deep ball from Sam Ehlinger to undrafted rookie wide receiver Cam Ross. Ross has started to make more plays the past couple of days and is probably running alongside Kolbie Katsis — he also had a long catch Thursday ā€” as Denverā€™s most impressive undrafted receivers.

ā€œCamā€™s doing really good,ā€ fellow receiver Marvin Mims Jr. told The Post this week. ā€¦ ā€œThe biggest thing for him is just trusting his ability, trusting his speed. It¶¶Ņõap a lot coming in here, especially when he had some injury stuff earlier. Come out here, try your hardest and weā€™ll coach it up in the (meeting) room after practice.ā€

Thumbs Up

Jahdae Barron, hello. Jahdae Barron hadnā€™t been off to a particularly bad start in training camp, by any means. He just hadnā€™t made many splash plays, either.

That changed Thursday. In one team period alone, Barron knifed in front of Pat Bryant on a short catch for what would have been, at minimum, a jarring hit just after a catch. Then on the next snap he broke up a pass over the middle to Lilā€™Jordan Humphrey. The 2025 first-round pick, like his rookie season, is playing all over. Heā€™s Denverā€™s dime like last year, heā€™s getting extensive run at outside corner with the second unit, and heā€™s Jaā€™Quan McMillianā€™s backup at nickel.

ā€œHeā€™s got a lot more patient,ā€ cornerback Riley Moss said. ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap a lot different — you throw a guy in, and heā€™s playing dime and then nickel and then outside, it¶¶Ņõap totally different. The job description is DB, but it is totally different. Heā€™s done a great job of being a little more patient, his eyes have got a lot better, and heā€™s just a great athlete. It just takes time to get used to the outside stuff, but heā€™s doing a great job.ā€

Thumbs Down

Frustration bubbling. As training camp progresses, a lot of different factors wax and wane. The length and physicality of each practice, for example. Players who stand out. Whoā€™s getting the No. 2 reps at quarterback. So on and so forth. One thing that¶¶Ņõap been consistent: The Broncosā€™ defensive front has dominated. Particularly so in the run game, but theyā€™re generating pressure, too. On Thursday, Broncos offensive linemen were visibly frustrated. They talked among themselves and in small groups after sets of repetitions. Tight end Evan Engram joined in at one point. Thursday was a different kind of day because, without pads, thereā€™s not as much of a true line play evaluation to be had. The OL is rotating through several veterans seeing limited reps, but so, too, is the defense. D.J. Jones didnā€™t do much team work Thursday, and Zach Allen had the same treatment earlier this week. Still, the defensive front has clearly been a handful for Denverā€™s veteran offensive line.

Odds and Ends

* If thereā€™s a player having a better camp than Riley Moss, the list is short. Heā€™s been sticky in coverage, and Denverā€™s deep receiving room has had its hands full against him, no matter who heā€™s covering.

* Payton on Thursday said there are eight total Broncos staffers and players leaving Friday night to head to Canton, Ohio, for Drew Breesā€™ Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. Payton, of course, has many more New Orleans connections on his staff than that, from assistant coaches Zach Strief, Ronald Curry, Joe Vitt, John Morton, Willie Snead IV and Darren Rizzi, strength coach Dan Dalrymple, VP of player health and performance Beau Lowery and VP of player personnel Cody Rager. Players who played with Brees in New Orleans include tight end Adam Trautman, receiver Lilā€™Jordan Humprprey, kicker Wil Lutz and defensive lineman Malcolm Roach.

* Speaking of the Hall of Fame, former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan was in attendance on Thursday. He chatted with Payton for a while early in practice and saw the new training facility. Payton has stumped for Shanahan to be in the Hall of Fame and said thereā€™s frustration with the difficulty of getting coaches enshrined the past couple of years. Still, Payton said it¶¶Ņõap a matter of ā€œwhen, not ifā€ Shanahanā€™s inducted.

* The Broncos had Shawn Hochuli’s officiating crew in town for practice each of the past two days. Payton said it’s a quiet year on the officiating emphasis front — there were no major rule changes this offseason. Hochuli’s crew presented to players and staff Wednesday night.

Next: 10 a.m. Friday, lots open at 8 a.m., gates open at 9 a.m. The Broncos are expected to be back in pads.

Did not practice:Ā OLB Nik Bonitto (left leg injury), WR Courtland Sutton, C Luke Wattenberg (undisclosed injury), CB Jaden Robinson, OLB Dasan McCullough, TE Caleb Lohner (lower-body injury)

Limited in practice:Ā OLB Dondrea Tillman (hamstring injury)

Left practice:Ā WR Jaylen Waddle (muscle tightness)

A fascinating development unfolded Wednesday, as star receiver Waddle was seen walking into the locker room with his helmet off but no visible signs of pain. Minutes passed. Team periods passed. And Waddle never re-emerged, a massive warning sign for the most important skill-position weapon on Denver’s roster.

Head coach Sean Payton said after practice he believed Waddle was dealing with some “muscle tightness.”

“We’ll evaluate him,” Payton said. “I think he’s fine.”

Bonitto, meanwhile, wasn’t in pads Wednesday but was seen observing and moving around without any signs of obvious discomfort after suffering an apparent left-leg injury during Tuesday’s practice. Sutton, meanwhile, was mysteriously watching practice in a baseball cap and no pads for the second straight day of practice Wednesday, but Payton said the star receiver will be back practicing Thursday. Denver appears to be taking considerable efforts to load-manage Sutton.

Lohner, meanwhile, has been spotted watching the last two days of practice with a boot on his left foot.

Roach ready to tackle a bigger role

Breaths caught across Dove Valley Wednesday when Broncos defensive tackle Malcolm Roach bumped into the one man who needs no hint of contact in Denver’s camp: quarterback Bo Nix.

The two fell to the grass, briefly. And got up without any real incident. Still, it wasn’t something that exactly delighted head coach Sean Payton.

“He wasn’t trying — he wasn’t going to tackle Bo,” nose tackle D.J. Jones said after practice. “But, I mean, it got quiet. It got quiet real quick. Everybody stopped.”

The fact that absolutely nothing came of it in the moment — no pushing and shoving, no dismay shown from offensive linemen — perhaps spoke to the roster’s respect for the 28-year-old Roach. He bumped into Nix, after, all, because he got to the quarterback, a sight that played out often Wednesday. Roach was responsible for forcing a would-be safety later in that team period, and has shown a clear ability to create interior pressure while working with the first-team defense in camp.

Jones, often Roach’s rotational partner at nose tackle for the last two seasons, offered a point-blank endorsement of Roach as a starter for 2026.

“I believe heā€™s going to take that JFM job,” Jones said, speaking of the departed John Franklin-Myers. “And heā€™s going to run with it. Like, heā€™s doing a great job as we speak.ā€

Roach came to Denver in 2024 known primarily as a run-stopper, but has developed rapidly on passing downs across the last two seasons. He finished 2025 with a career-best four sacks, and had a standout playoff run: two sacks, five quarterback hits and three tackles for loss in two Denver postseason games.

“We got to work out a little bit before the season started … he was focused on his pass-rush,” Jones said. “And it¶¶Ņõap shown.”

Top play

Denver’s first-team offense has still not quite rounded out of offseason form, as coordinator Vance Joseph’s defense has swallowed up virtually any run looks the Broncos have tried across the first few days of camp. And after a hot start, quarterback Bo Nix has fallen back into inconsistency, with even fewer windows available in Wednesday’s team periods given the absences of his two top receivers in Waddle and Sutton.

That gave third-year cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine a ready-made opportunity to pounce, as Nix dropped back during one rep and stared down receiver Marvin Mims Jr. on an out route. Abrams-Draine, in sticky coverage, read Nix’s eyes the whole way. And on the toss, Abrams-Draine jumped the route, sailing the other direction for the first interception off Nix of training camp.

The Broncos rested star cornerback Pat Surtain II for several team periods Wednesday, on the longest day of training camp thus far. That gave a heap more outside reps for youngsters Jahdae Barron and Abrams-Draine. And the Mizzou product capitalized, just as he’s done across a handful of spot starts in his first two NFL seasons.

“Heā€™s one of those players — the ball kinda finds him, too, with his instincts,” Payton said. “And I would say, heā€™s got tremendous hands. Heā€™s gotten stronger since his first year.ā€

Thumbs Up

An old favorite has learned new tricks.Ā If the Broncos are keeping a counter on reception leaders through the first five days of camp, veteran Lil’Jordan Humphrey is likely at the top. The 28-year-old Humphrey took full advantage of increased WR reps Wednesday, snaring at least five passes and cycling through all three sets of offensive units.

In little surprise, Denver re-signed Humphrey on a one-year deal in March, a 6-foot-4 receiver who’s become well-known as one of Payton’s favorites. Long known as a blocking specialist, though, Humphrey appears to have added some tangible juice to his game further into his career. In fact, he’s actually measured faster in top-end speed the past two years — via the team’s Catapult trackers — than he did in Denver in 2023 and 2024, according to Payton.

“Heā€™s extremely smart,” Payton said. “That¶¶Ņõap probably one of his superpowers. Like, he can play all three positions, and heā€™s a big target.”

Can Humphrey beat out any of Denver’s young corps of Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr. for a spot? Almost certainly not. But as long as Payton remains the Broncos’ head coach, Humphrey will haveĀ ²õ“Ē³¾±šĢżkind of role.

Thumbs Down

Running into several walls. Here’s the flip side of Denver’s early defensive-line dominance. Payton has pointed several times throughout the offseason to the need for a more consistent run game, and has even hinted that Davis Webb’s promotion to play-caller could bring new and productive ideas on the ground. So far in training camp, though, that has yet to materialize.

It’s hard to measure run success in pads beyond first contact, but the Broncos’ offensive line appears to be losing more battles than they’re winning against Denver’s defensive front. J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey haven’t had any standout rushes thus far, although rookie Jonah Coleman has flashed some promising tenacity between the tackles. Any offensive progress in this area will be hard to measure until Denver’s first preseason game.

Odds and Ends

*Payton continued to insist that there’s “no official battle” for the Broncos’ QB2 spot, and the team is simply rotating reps. That’s growing harder to believe, as Sam Ehlinger once again worked with Denver’s second team offense Wednesday and Jarrett Stidham slid back to operating the third-string unit.

Maybe it’s not a battle. But Denver wouldn’t be switching reps if they didn’t want to get a better look at Ehlinger’s development.

“The spaghetti sauce is the other stuff that¶¶Ņõap one of his superpowers — he gets in and out of some plays, maybe,” Payton said, noting Ehlinger’s freestyling. “He can move. I like how heā€™s looked. You donā€™t get to appreciate a quarterback like him until youā€™re out there, and everyoneā€™s on the sideline, and then the ball moves.”

*Nose tackle Jones is not one to wax excessively poetic about any of his teammates to reporters. Ears should perk up, then, at his comments on fellow defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike, who seems directly poised to take on a greater role in 2026.

“He canā€™t be blocked,” Jones said. “Heā€™s a man. Heā€™s a grown man. I think it took some time for hi, but now heā€™s falling into his role of not being blocked. He can play every position. So, he scares you.ā€

To Jones’ point, Uwazurike single-handedly blew up one run-sweep to Harvey in a 9-on-7 period, arriving in the backfield the near second Harvey even touched the ball.

“The leap he’s taking right now,” Jones said, “it’s pretty scary.”

*Payton reiterated Wednesday that the Broncos’ practice plans this week won’t change, despite his planned Saturday absence for Drew Brees’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The head coach told reporters that six other members of the Broncos’ staff will join him in Canton this weekend, as New Orleans ties run deep through his coaches in Denver.

“We have more coaches than we know what to do with out here,” Payton said, “so weā€™re going to be fine without seven.”

*Receiver Troy Franklin, who has had a first-hand look at the development of CB2 Riley Moss the past three years, said he’s seen a clear leap from Moss entering his fourth season in the NFL.

“Riley’s definitely been playing tighter coverage,” Franklin said Wednesday.

Did not practice: WR Courtland Sutton (rest day), C Luke Wattenberg, TE Caleb Lohner, OL Nick Gargiulo (Physically Unable to Perform list), LB Jordan Turner (non-football injury list), CB Jaden Robinson

Injured during practice:Ā OLB Nik Bonitto

Denver saw a nightmare scenario on the club’s second day in pads, as star pass-rusher Bonitto exited during a 9-on-7 drill and limped off with trainers Tuesday. Head coach Sean Payton said post-practice that Bonitto “will be fine,” but the All-Pro talent was seen in a considerable deal of pain Tuesday. Bonitto leaned on trainers while walking off the field before limping on his own power entering the locker room.

Sutton was given a veteran rest day Tuesday, as Payton has spoken previously of being mindful of the 30-year-old WR1’s reps.Ā Wattenberg, the Broncos’ starting center, didn’t practice Tuesday but was back watching from the sideline.

Riley Moss, camp winner

The Broncos have a white man who can, in fact, jump.

On Wednesday, as a member of his defensive front jumped offsides, Moss sprinted downfield to track a deep ball and attach to WR1 Sutton’s hip. Both leapt, a roughly 6-foot cornerback grappling with 6-foot-4 receiver known for his jump-ball ability. When they tumbled to the grass, Moss — somehow — had reached into Sutton’s arms and wrestled the ball away for a would-be interception.

“Heā€™s a very athletic human being,” safety Talanoa Hufanga said later Monday, on Moss. “Like, a lot of people kinda discredit it because it¶¶Ņõap the, ā€˜white corner.ā€™ Iā€™m not gonna say that, but that¶¶Ņõap just what everybody else does. But heā€™s probably, actually, one of the most athletic corners Iā€™ve ever been around. Quick-twitch. And now it¶¶Ņõap really just, what can we do to get his technique to where it¶¶Ņõap at?”

Entering his fourth season in the NFL, Moss’s technique now appears to be creeping towards the level of his athleticism. After a strong three days of camp, Tuesday was his best yet, as Moss saw several targets through team periods and didn’t allow a single completion. He leapt to knock away a Bo Nix deep ball for Troy Franklin. He forced another deep incompletion by blanketing Marvin Mims Jr. HeĀ knocked a deep ball away from Pat Bryant in a one-on-one period. No receiver — not even Jaylen Waddle — has been able to consistently beat Denver’s No. 2 corner in camp thus far, and that’s a scary proposition for the Broncos’ back-end.

Now, can Moss put himself in better regular-season positions to reduce his hand-grappling? A late-season experiment to wear boxing gloves in team periods during practice actually paid off, as Moss was dinged for just one penalty across his final eight games of 2025. If he can continue to put dynamic reps on tape in camp while avoiding grabbing a few opposing jerseys, there will be no hint of a CB2 competition between Moss and second-year prospect Jahdae Barron.

“I think learning to play with his feet, really working on reducing some of those fouls,” Payton said on Moss Monday. “Man, he competes his tail off. Like, I love that about him. Heā€™s got those traits where it¶¶Ņõap a short mindset, short memory, and heā€™s moving around really well right now.ā€

Top play

How about a top moment? It was an inexplosive day of camp, as the Broncos’ defensive front swallowed up a variety of run looks in team periods and Denver’s first-team offense often fell flat. Nix was off-target on a couple throws. The offensive line let linebacker Alex Singleton come unblocked on one rep. All the while came the first introduction of “competition periods,” or higher-intensity simulated 11-on-11 situations.

It all boiled over on a late route from Evan Engram over the middle, as Nix rolled right with nowhere to throw. The quarterback fired a grounder at Engram’s feet, clearly waving a white flag. Engram, though, appeared to feel some contact from a shadowing Ja’Quan McMillian.

Engram turned and had words for McMillian. Shoving ensued. Bodies quickly surrounded the two, and were broken up within a couple minutes.

It was a flash of frustration from Engram, who has rarely seen any touches in recent practices after a breakout day of camp. And a flash of frustration from Denver’s offense, as running back J.K. Dobbins walked across the sideline barking at Denver’s defense in the minutes to come. Payton, though, shrugged it all off post-practice.

“All I saw was just, a lot of bodies,” Payton said, of the dust-up. “Whoeverā€™s in the skirmish, I just donā€™t want to see the third person. The bystander who decides heā€™s going to be tough.ā€

No bystanders Tuesday.

Thumbs Up

Ehlinger still challenging.Ā The best quarterback on Denver’s roster Tuesday was its third-string captain, as Sam Ehlinger continued a strong camp amid a clear challenge to backup Jarrett Stidham for the No. 2 job behind Nix. On a disjointed day for most of Denver’s offensive units, Ehlinger moved the ball well and lofted a beauty to running back Jaleel McLaughlin for a touchdown at the end of team work Monday.

There’s an argument to be made, too, that Ehlinger has been the most consistent quarterback on Denver’s roster through four days of camp. Nix has flashed brilliance and increased poise, but has yanked a few throws. Stidham has been fairly boom-or-bust.

Thumbs Down

Butler out of service?Ā When asked last week about early camp darling Hakeem Butler, Payton didn’t even reference the 30-year-old UFL product by name. The 6-foot-5 Butler is immediately noticeable when lining up at receiver, but has plenty of work to do to make his name stick. And he took a step back Tuesday after a strong start to camp, with two low-effort reps on a missed ball over the middle from Stidham and a one-on-one deep incompletion forced by 5-foot-11 rookie cornerback Brent Austin.

Butler’s physical tools and professional-level production are tantalizing, and he’s getting plenty of work in Denver’s second- and third-team units. But he needs to put more on tape.

Odds and Ends

*There’s a clear difference, at the moment, between Moss and Barron’s competitive reps. Barron was beaten twice by Franklin in a one-on-one period Tuesday, first on an out route and then on a deep ball. The second-year cornerback hasn’t looked out of position in camp, but also hasn’t been in any positions to make plays on the ball. The sky is not falling, but this is a point to watch.

*Does Denver have a clear next ILB up if either Alex Singleton or Justin Strnad misses any time? Not yet. But Payton shrugged off any concern on that position’s depth Tuesday, saying he was “excited” to see who steps up from a defensive and special-teams perspective.

That means the Broncos, clearly, haven’t identified their ILB3, which Strnad knows plenty well has been a vital depth need for Denver’s defense the past two seasons. Turner was a candidate, but still hasn’t tugged on pads yet in camp with a non-football injury. Rookies Red Murdock and Taurean York are an intriguing pair, but haven’t captured attention. Levelle Bailey and Karene Reid — the latter of whom made the Broncos’ 53-man roster as a rookie — could be the two best candidates.

*Speaking of Austin — keep an eye on him. The Cal product went undrafted in April, but has good physical tools and has flashed well in coverage in camp thus far. Denver loves quality cornerbacks, and Austin could end up sticking if he shows special-teams value.

*The Broncos’ defensive-line carousel continues to spin. Eyioma Uwazurike, Jordan Jackson, Tyler Onyedim, Sai’vion Jones and Matt Henningsen have all gotten first-team reps in units where the departed John Franklin-Myers used to play. Uwazurike, though, looks the current favorite to absorb much of Franklin-Myers’ old work.