In Denver’s preseason opener at Atlanta, the Broncos head coach was on his way into the locker room when he stopped for a brief chat with 9News preseason sideline reporter Cynthia Frelund. He talked about the action for a minute, then was asked about being back in town to play the Falcons. He glanced around at a maybe-half-full Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“A lot of people dressed up as empty seats today,” Payton said with a smirk before jogging off.

The Broncos did not have the same issue in their two preseason home games.

Far from it, in fact.

The Broncos averaged 64,665 fans through the turnstiles — the actual raw data, not number of tickets sold that gets announced during games — over a loss to Green Bay and a win against Minnesota, marking the highest turnout for preseason games since 2016, when the club averaged 67,649. That summer, of course, Denver was coming off a Super Bowl 50 victory.

Since the NFL moved to a 17-game regular-season schedule, teams have either one or two preseason home games per summer.

Last year, Denver’s lone home preseason game had 60,009 through the turnstiles.

In 2024, the two preseason games averaged 57,684. That means this August saw an average of 6,981 more fans per home preseason game than two years ago.

For reference, the average announced attendance for the two home games this summer was 75,733.

That fan interest is the likely result of several factors. Naturally, going 14-3 in the regular season, coming within a game of the Super Bowl and entering 2026 with championship expectations drives interest. So, too, does playing a team with national appeal like Green Bay. Preseason games are also more affordable to get to than regular-season games, so for some fans, it����ap the easiest way to get to a game.

Ask Payton, though, and such robust attendance also comes with tangible benefits.

When his viral comments about the Falcons came up after that game, he mentioned that his mentor, Bill Parcells, liked playing preseason games in Green Bay, for example, because there was usually a mostly full house and a game-like environment in which to test his players.

Payton felt the same — albeit at home rather than in a more hostile road environment — over the two weeks late in August.

“It was great,” he said after the finale against Minnesota. “They played that little guess-the-attendance thing (on the scoreboard,). It doesn’t feel like a preseason game, so if I was an opponent, I’d want to kind of play here.

“You’re trying to get your players acclimated to what it would be like and I keep hearing about certain venues that are like that, but they were fantastic. It was good. Good environment.”

Here are the five highest turnstile numbers at Empower Field during the preseason over the past decade. Each of the years listed featured two home games.

2016 – 67,649

2026 – 64,665

2017 – 64,445

2018 – 61,388

2022 – 60,496

Jaleel McLaughlin lands in Cleveland

Former Bronco Jaleel McLaughlin has a new home.

The running back signed a practice squad deal with Cleveland on Tuesday, marking the first time he’s played for a franchise besides Denver in his professional career.

McLaughlin was waived Sunday and didn’t sign with Denver’s practice squad Monday, telegraphing the end of his tenure with the Broncos.

General manager George Paton on Sunday called waiving McLaughlin “really hard” because of the respect people in the building have for the back, who went undrafted in 2023 and played his college ball first in Division II and then FCS Youngstown State. Paton also said that choosing Tyler Badie as Denver’s fourth running back over McLaughlin was the last decision the Broncos made about their roster.

Marvin Mims still out with ‘bruise’ to foot

The Broncos practiced in full pads on Tuesday. Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (foot) remained out and was not spotted at practice. Payton said after Friday’s game that Mims just had “a bruise,” though he’s now not been seen at two practices since leaving that game in the first quarter.

Outside linebacker Que Robinson also remained limited to side field work, while inside linebacker Alex Singleton missed practice to attend to a personal matter. Tight end Adam Trautman was also absent.

Sean Keeler: Clearly, Badie found out who was taking pictures for Lil’Jordan Humphrey and got that dude under contract. I mean, I get it. I do. And I don’t. It’s a victory of film over eyeballs, the clever over the obvious. Badie blocks. Badie’s critical on special teams. Fine. Name something else he does better than McLaughlin. Tough yards north and south? According to Pro-Football-Reference.com data, Jaleel has a career “successful” rush rate of 53.5%. Badie’s at 35%. “Successful” reception rate? McLaughlin: 37.7%, Badie 37.1%. Fumble rate? McLaughlin has one in 285 regular-season touches. Badie’s had one in 43. Trust is a two-way street, but the only direction a Badie run play went last fall, by and large, was backward.

Renck: McLaughlin endeared himself to ����apountry with his ability and story. From sleeping in his car as a kid to making the team as an undrafted rookie from Youngstown State, McLaughlin made it easy to root for him. His work ethic was the stuff of legend, putting in a full day before teammates punched the clock. But, the reality is that keeping Badie made more sense. The fourth running back is a niche role. And Badie has responsibility as the up-man on the punt team, a spot he filled last season and during training camp this summer. He is also the reason the Broncos beat the Bills in the postseason. According to Sean Payton, a fake punt on fourth-and-11 in overtime — “Rutgers Special” — was called off despite the coach saying they got the right look. Video shows Badie scan the defense and look back at Jeremy Crawshaw before going ahead with the punt. If the trick play had not worked — the odds were against it — the Broncos would have almost certainly lost on a short field goal. That is a feather in the cap of the fourth back.

Keeler: So vetoing Sean Payton out of an embarrassing call on national television saves your bacon? That makes sense. Actually, it might be the only thing that makes sense. If you keep McLaughlin over Badie, you’ve got four backs who, in sets of two, sort of mirror each other. J.K. Dobbins and Jonah Coleman are super early-down and between-the-tackle runners who can catch and block enough to keep defenses honest. RJ Harvey and McLaughlin are smaller, elusive scatback types, capable of a house call anytime they touch the ball — especially if that call comes on a wheel route. If McLaughlin is in the game, it might be a run. Might be a throw. If Badie’s in the game, defenders can pin their ears back and make a beeline for Bo Nix, because No. 28’s in there to block. How is that a strategic advantage?

Renck: Fake punts aside, Badie is more trusted as a backup, third-down back. McLaughlin really had no spot on the offense, barring injury. He was also hurt by the fact that he struggled to gain any yards after contact. Not that Badie padded his resume. He was the featured performer in a running back screen, a play that was so ineffective we can only hope that new offensive coordinator Davis Webb ripped it out of the playbook, buried it under the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse and demanded it never be spoken of again. In the end, having a slight foothold on third and fourth down gave Badie more traction for the final roster spot and I am fine with that.

Keeler: We scribes don’t play favorites when it comes to your most beloved team/player/coach. Honest. But, by golly, we do root for narratives, sometimes. And McLaughlin’s hooked our hearts, full-stop. But we already know that Payton’s soft spot is only about as big as the Grinch’s heart in early December, with the hugs reserved for guys who played for him in New Orleans. Mark my words, good sir: Badie might have rescued Sunshine Sean from himself once. Yet there will be a critical game in December, or in the postseason, when injuries or circumstances force Badie to be on the field when he shouldn’t. And we’ll remember this day. And shake our heads.

Vanity, typically, is the least of an offensive lineman’s concerns in the first place.

This one, though, has a story behind it. Throckmorton was helmet-less at the bottom of a pile during the Broncos’ biggest training camp scrum a couple of weeks back.

When asked about it Friday after Denver’s preseason finale, the veteran offensive lineman and fringe roster player smiled.

“A little reminder of this training camp and hopefully what it����ap going to lead to down the road,” Throckmorton told The Post.

Throckmorton will indeed be with the Broncos down the road despite being released on Sunday. He’s one of four veterans to sign back to Denver’s practice squad Monday as the team filled out its 17-man group.

Standard practice squads are 16 players, but teams can get an exemption for a 17th if one qualifies as an international player. For the Broncos, that’s outside linebacker David Agoha.

Of the 16 others, up to six can be vested veterans.

The Broncos lost fifth-round tight end Justin Joly and reserve nickel and special teams standout Reese Taylor to the Miami Dolphins on the waiver wire. They also will not have waived running back Jaleel McLaughlin to the practice squad after Tyler Badie made the 53-man roster and Cody Schrader was signed to the practice squad.

McLaughlin, waived Sunday in what general manager George Paton called the toughest cut Denver made, was weighing options with other teams as of Monday.

“All of those (running backs) really played well,” head coach Sean Payton said Monday. “The edge goes to the kicking game, which is important. We were still able to end up with five. So much of the final equation comes down to special teams as we’re trying to project a vision when it’s close.”

While Denver lost Joly, two other Day 3 picks waived Sunday cleared waivers and returned to the team in safety Miles Scott and linebacker Red Murdock.

Scott told The Post after Friday’s preseason game that he felt like he’d steadily been making progress in training camp.

“It����ap definitely a gradual thing,” he said. “I feel like this past week was my best week of practice. I was like, man, this is how it should be. I’ve got to develop and become a better player. I’ve only played safety for a few years.

“In college, the defense was pretty simple. Here, this defense is definitely more complex. That����ap why it works, though.”

Now he’ll carry on developing on Denver’s practice squad.

“Smart player,” starter Talanoa Hufanga said of Scott on Monday. “A guy that is still picking it up, as always, it’s hard to learn, but he sits next to me in meetings. He’s picking the brain. A guy that’s willing to learn. As he grows and as he learns in this league, he can be a really good player.”

As for Murdock, Payton made the overarching point on Monday when asked about waiving him on Sunday in favor of Karene Reid and Jordan Turner.

“Some of what you said is true,” Payton said. “And yet, they’re all here.”

Indeed, practice squad players are essentially an extension of the overall roster, though they are restricted to playing in a maximum of three games and the pay is different.

“I look at it as a 70-man roster and that was my message to (the team),” Payton said. “Man, these guys play.”

Here’s a look at who Denver is bringing back

FB Adam Prentice (veteran)

LS Mitch Fraboni (veteran)

TE Lucas Krull (veteran)

OL Calvin Throckmorton (veteran)

WR Kolbe Katsis

WR Michael Bandy

WR Dane Key

OL Gavin Ortega

OL Tyler Miller

OLB Johnny Walker

ILB Red Murdock (7th round pick)

CB Brent Austin

CB Sean Fresch Jr.

S Miles Scott (7th round pick)

RB Cody Schrader

LS Luke Basso

OLB David Agoha (international exemption)

It����ap actually basically a 55-man roster.

It����ap a little bulgy here, a little slim there.

It����ap uniquely constructed and Denver hopes it����ap also uniquely constituted to thrive despite a gauntlet of a regular-season schedule, a deep playoff run and, ultimately, a Super Bowl championship.

The NFL might be a young man’s game, but this roster is not for the light-on-experience. Time and again the Broncos chose sure bets, roster continuity and familiarity over the unknown of inexperience.

Only four of seven draft picks made the cut. General manager George Paton, head coach Sean Payton and their staffs will hope for smooth sailing and calm winds on the waiver wire until 11 a.m. Monday to deliver some of their younger and less experienced players to the practice squad so their development can continue there.

“This year, I think we spent more time on this roster going through a lot of different scenarios with a lot of these players that were released,” Paton said. “It����ap a puzzle. It����ap ongoing. Now we’re building the practice squad, we’re looking at the wire tonight obviously.

“So, it����ap fluid and yet, yes, this was a tough roster to make.”

For a team trying to follow a 14-3 season in 2025 that ended in AFC title game heartbreak on their own field, the 53-man roster is about trying to win Sept. 14 in Kansas City and the weeks beyond.

At position after position, the final spots came down to specific roles rather than youth or upside.

Tyler Badie over Jaleel McLaughlin? Look no further than pass protection and Badie’s history of being a trusted part of Denver’s punt protection unit.

Lil’Jordan Humphrey over the fleet of undrafted receivers in camp? Payton says all the time that Humphrey makes game-planning easy because they know exactly what he does well. He blocks at the point of attack; he’s good in the middle of the field, and he can play wherever you need.

Tycen Anderson as a fifth safety? He’s not a safety, really, but he’s a core special teams player and that earned him a spot.

Jordan Turner over Red Murdock? Turner’s played special teams in Denver already, and the Broncos are banking on getting “Mr. Irrelevant” from April’s draft through waivers.

Murdock isn’t alone in that regard. It only takes one look at Denver’s 2026 draft class to get an idea of the competition up and down the roster.

Fourth-rounder Jonah Coleman is the lone rookie who looks poised to potentially make a splash right away as a complement to fellow running backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. Third-round defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim, Denver’s lone Day 2 pick, might make the rotation out of the gate, but will be behind a veteran group that will command much of the playing time. Same for fourth-round offensive lineman Kage Casey.

From there, the fifth through seventh rounds did not fare well on cutdown day. Three of the four players Denver drafted from the fifth round on — TE Justin Joly, S Miles Scott and Murdock — were waived Sunday. The Broncos hope they can get all three back to the practice squad after 11 a.m. Monday. The only rookie from that stretch to actually make the club was the one perhaps least talked about during training camp: Tight end Dallen Bently.

Likewise, none of Denver’s undrafted rookies made the active roster to start, either.

If they’re back in the building Monday afternoon, that����ap terrific. If not? “We’re going to shake their hand, we’re going to give them a hug and root for them,” Paton said.

The Broncos pulled out every stop to maximize the numbers they could keep. Fullback Adam Prentice and long snapper Mitch Fraboni are not on the 53, but as vested veterans, they have already agreed to start on the practice squad, so they’ll contribute as game-day elevations from the jump. Denver also used its two short-term injured reserve placements allowed Sunday on OL Frank Crum and TE Caleb Lohner.

So, there’s a 53-man roster expanded by four, basically.

“Remember it����ap the right 53 and getting the proper evaluation,” Payton said after Friday’s preseason finale against Minnesota. “I will spend more time concerned with who’s making it as opposed to the ones that maybe possibly aren’t. And I just finished saying this in the locker room: Oftentimes in those tough meetings the next two days, within a month, within two months, all of a sudden, a player will be back in your building. That happens.”

Nearly all of the players who know they’ll be back with the Broncos as of Sunday night have been here before. Literally.

Overall, there are only seven players on the initial roster who have not played at least three  games for the Broncos: Star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, QB Sam Ehlinger, Anderson and the four rookie draft picks who made the cut.

Continuity has been a theme. Payton says this team is still young, but really it has some young players amidst a group now steeped in experience, expectation and the Payton Way.

This is a team built for now. It����ap not all-in the way some of Payton’s late New Orleans teams were: Recklessly and without regard for salary cap consequences.

It����ap all in the way Payton, Paton and CEO Greg Penner want to be: With a recognition that the future is a reality but primarily a sense of urgency right now.

Every roster cut this time of year is difficult.

The player sitting across the table wants nothing more than to make the team and to know his NFL career is continuing.

More than 1,200 players were let go in some form or fashion across the league this week.

Not many were tougher than the Broncos letting running back Jaleel McLaughlin know he was being waived on Sunday.

McLaughlin made the team as an undrafted rookie in 2023 but has seen the room change and advance around him.

He was left off Sunday in favor of J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, rookie Jonah Coleman and fellow bubble candidate Tyler Badie.

“That was really tough,” Denver general manager George Paton said Sunday. … “Jaleel, he’s something else. He was really important to this team, the passion, everything he brings.”

Renck: Jonathon Cooper’s actions put Broncos in a tough spot against Chiefs in opener

McLaughlin sometimes grew up without a place to sleep at night. His work ethic is the stuff of legend, from pre-dawn hill running and workouts to the time he bought a JUGS machine with his own money to try to improve as a pass-catching option with the Broncos.

In the end, the conversation came down to Badie’s ability to pass-protect and his more expansive special teams role, which includes playing on the team’s punt shield.

“Without getting into details, it was a really hard decision,” Paton said. “Obviously, special teams are involved, third-down ability. There’s a lot involved.

“That was probably the last decision we made, this fourth runner.”

Frank Crum, Caleb Lohner start season on injured reserve

The Broncos will start the season with a pair of potential future contributors on the shelf.

Offensive tackle Frank Crum was injured in the team’s second preseason game against Green Bay and now will miss at least the first four games. He’s a swing tackle, jumbo tight end and even caught a postseason touchdown in January.

The exact nature and severity of his injury are not known, but he’s expected to be ready around the time he’s eligible to return, sources have told The Post.

Lohner, meanwhile, will be out longer. The second-year tight end drew rave reviews from Payton after the club’s rookie minicamp in May, but then was out for all of OTAs and minicamp with an injury.

He was not put on the physically unable to perform list to start camp and was expected to join quickly, but then sustained another injury. He was seen watching practice with a boot on his left foot and never did get on the field.

Paton on Sunday said Lohner will not be back in the fold until the middle of the season, perhaps in late October.

Gone, but not really

The Broncos don’t technically have a fullback or a long snapper on their 53-man roster. Both positions, however, will be used in Week 1 against Kansas City.

Fullback Adam Prentice and long snapper Mitch Fraboni are each veteran players and thus not subject to waivers when released. That allowed the Broncos to strike a deal with each to start the season on the practice squad.

They did the same last year with quarterback Sam Ehlinger and he ended up on the 53 anyway later in the week when Malcolm Roach hurt his calf in practice and was put on injured reserve. If something like that happens, one or both of Prentice and Fraboni could be added to the 53 sooner rather than later. Otherwise, they can each be elevated from the practice squad three times. After that, they’ll have to be added to the 53 in order to continue playing.

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.

The Broncos finished theirs with a 34-6 shellacking of Minnesota at Empower Field.

If this time of year is about roster depth, Denver boasted a vast superiority to the Vikings essentially from the opening kickoff.

Sean Payton’s team didn’t dress 30 players, most of them starters and key contributors, and still dominated. Minnesota, to be sure, also sat its top players, but this was backups on backups crime.

Now, tough roster questions are ahead.

“I look back to my first year here, and we were looking to claim (players),” Payton said Friday night. “And it was like that in New Orleans early on. As you build something that gets a little bit more polished, players are — gradually, the quality of your team, it becomes a harder roster to make.

“So those teams out there that have new coaches that are rebuilding. They’ll be more active and those are the teams sometimes that can end up with one of your players.”

That����ap the focus for the next few days. Then attention turns fully to Week 1 and Denver’s Sept. 14 trip to Kansas City for Monday Night Football.

Here are four takeaways from Friday night:

Sam Ehlinger authored quite a bounce back after a rough start

The Broncos head coach was afraid he’d end up in the stat book with a PBU. OK, maybe not quite, but as Payton watched Sam Ehlinger start moving to his left and then sprint back to his right on a fourth-and-3 in the second half Friday, Ehlinger kept getting closer and closer. Finally, he uncorked an off-balance throw to Cody Schrader for a 14-yard touchdown and basically fell into the coach’s lap.

That set off a raucous celebration after the second of Ehlinger’s three touchdowns on the night.

The Broncos quarterback started his night with an ugly interception.

Then he responded with three touchdowns and finished the night with 233 yards and a 134.5 passer rating.

The touchdown was a thing of beauty.

“I was standing on the white,” Payton said of the sideline. … “Two more feet and my concern was all of a sudden the ball hit my chest and I’m the reason he doesn’t throw it. I was excited for him. It was really good.”

So was Ehlinger overall.

“There’s one thing he does, I’ve said this to you guys before many times, when you’re in practice situations and plays don’t finish out, you see ‘X,’” Payton said. And then, for him, when you’re in a game situation, we don’t have to decide whether he was sacked or not. He wasn’t. And it was a touchdown pass. That����ap one of the things that I think has served him well in college and when he plays in games.

“It����ap hard to simulate some of that. So I was excited for him.”

Ehlinger made a bad throw on the first drive and got under-cut on an out-breaker for an interception.

After that, though, he was sharp.

“Obviously you don’t want to start that way,” Ehlinger said. “But it was good to get that out of my system and then being able to get in the flow of the game, get the feel for coverages and how the game’s going was really good.”

Whether the Broncos keep two or three quarterbacks is among their most intriguing questions as the roster deadline approaches Sunday, but Ehlinger has said for the past week that he has trust in Payton and the Denver staff.

“When it comes down to the roster decisions and things of that nature, it����ap completely out of my control,” he said. “I don’t derive my confidence from the result of what happens with numbers or things of that nature.

“I have great confidence in this organization and the relationships we have and the way they’ve handled things with me to this point. I’m in a really good spot.”

If the Broncos do cut Ehlinger, a vested veteran who is not subject to waivers and thus can sign anywhere at any time, he said he’d look around to see what else might be available.

“Yeah, you have to look at all your options, right? That����ap what we’ll do,” he said. “That����ap what we did last year and I look forward to whatever opportunity there is.”

He’s also got much bigger things happening in his life, too, and soon. Ehlinger’s wife is pregnant with their first child and is due Tuesday.

So his upcoming days could well be very different than most of the guys sweating out the cutdown deadline.

“I might be in the hospital having my first son,” he said. “That’s what it could look like.”

Pat Bryant����ap ascension was on display in absentia Friday night

Payton bristles at categorizations like “third wide receiver” or “second running back.” He’s got roles defined for certain players and they fulfill them.

However, Friday night served as a final stamp of approval on a breakout August for second-year wide receiver Pat Bryant.

He didn’t need a big stat line to prove it. He did so with a ballcap and tennis shoes.

Payton and the Broncos didn’t dress three receivers for the game: Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton and Bryant. That����ap as clear an indication as any that Bryant is going to factor heavily into Denver’s offensive plans.

Not that there’s been much doubt since the start of camp.

Bryant has made play after play, day after day.

Every player and every coach who’s been asked about him over the past month has had nothing but raves.

Troy Franklin, meanwhile, was out there playing and so, too, was Marvin Mims Jr. Mims was up mostly because he’s been hurt and hasn’t had much live action this summer.

Franklin hasn’t done anything wrong, either. He’s had a nice camp himself and is a versatile, valuable player.

Bryant, though, has had an undeniable training camp. He’s one of the players fans should be most intrigued to see on the field at Arrowhead Stadium in 16 days.

Marvin Mims Jr.’s camp started fast. It����ap been a slog since.

Not many players were more impressive than Mims during the first week of training camp, n. Since then, it����ap been a slog. He took a couple of weeks to come all the way back from a groin injury. He made his preseason debut Friday against the Vikings and figured to get a couple of series. Instead, Jarrett Stidham overthrew him on his first target of the night and Mims hit the ground along the sideline and rolled over in pain.

Payton described the foot injury as “just a bruise” after the game and said the club was being cautious with the fourth-year wide receiver.
The veteran head coach also referred to Mims as a “front-line guy.” That much isn’t in question, even if Mims’ ultimate role in this offense is a bit of a mystery at this point.

What����ap also clear is that Mims was frustrated about having to head back to the blue medical tent. He hopped up and tried to jog off, shooing away a trainer. Then he reluctantly ducked into the tent and then headed back to the locker room early in the game.

If Mims plays a big role and has an impact this fall, this night will be quickly forgotten.

But for a guy going into his contract year, the training camp and preseason rigmarole that has cost him time on the practice field and in game action so far this summer could also easily become a source of frustration.

He (probably) won’t make the 53-man roster, but take a bow, Cody Schrader.

The only knock on Cody Schrader’s Friday night? After he caught the touchdown from Ehlinger, he threw the ball into the crowd. Brother, don’t you want to keep that one?

“I didn’t think to keep that thing,” Schrader said. “I was just kind of blacked out in the moment and super excited to get in the end zone.”

Schrader, 26, went undrafted in 2024 and bounced around. Like, really bounced around. He’s been cut seven times. At one point last year, he played for three teams in as many weeks, the last of which was Denver. But he stuck on the practice squad down the stretch, got a futures deal and has had a nice training camp. He could well end up on the Broncos’ practice squad and is in the mix with Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie.

Moreover, he’s been a needed bell cow in preseason as Denver managed the workload of several other backs.

He carried the ball 24 times over Denver’s three preseason games and churned out 74 yards. He also caught all nine of his targets for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Schrader led Broncos backs in snaps, too, in each of the first two games and likely did again Friday against the Vikings.

Schrader, who ran for 1,627 yards his senior year at Missouri, finished with a flourish, too. He had six catches for 90 yards plus 42 rushing for a total of 132 offensive yards and a touchdown.

“It definitely meant a lot,” Schrader said. “I’m so thankful for this organization, just in terms of how they take preseason. They treat it like the regular season and that means a lot to guys like me who’s competing and fighting for every opportunity possible. …

“We have a great room. We’re a brotherhood and I think all of us can play in this league.”

Schrader did the Broncos well this preseason and probably helped himself in the process, too.

Fourth round? For the guy who’s been arguably the Broncos’ best runnner in camp since they put pads on?

Bargain of the draft.

With soft-tissue injuries mounting, it’s not a stretch to call Coleman ����apountry’s most important rookie.

Especially with J.K. Dobbins, Payton’s RB1, limping off the field during Monday’s drills.

When the Broncos visit Atlanta on Friday night in their preseason opener, it’s not all about the scoreboard. It’s about narratives. Bo Nix’s ankle. Davis Webb, Payton and the play-calling operation. Sam Ehlinger’s ascent. The rise of Pat Bryant III. Somebody, anybody, flashing from the tight end room.

But I want to see if Coleman can do to the Dirty Birds, or least Atlanta’s first or second team stoppers,

I want to see if Coleman is the J.K. comp this team missed last December and January. The bruiser. The grinder. The workhorse.

The eye test says Dobbins’ strengths are Coleman’s. So do the numbers.

First downs? Last fall, when everybody who lined up against the Washington Huskies knew what was coming, Coleman averaged 5 yards per carry with 11 of 83 carries piling up at least 10 yards. The season before that, he rattled off 5.8 yards per tote on first down, with 19 of 110 attempts going for at least 10 yards a pop.

Short-yardage? On third-down-and-3-yards-or-less last fall, Coleman notched a first down on 11 of 15 attempts. The year prior, he was 7-for-11.

Among running backs drafted in 2026, Coleman ranked second in broken tackles forced by the wonks at Pro Football Focus. No. 1 in his class? The only cat ahead of him? Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick by Arizona, whom the Cardinals just gave $53 million guaranteed on his rookie deal — the most for a tailback in NFL history.

Since 2014, only two FBS backs with at least 500 collegiate carries have averaged more opponent missed tackles per rush than Coleman: Bijan Robinson, Ashton Jeanty and David Montgomery. Let’s see. That’s the best runner in the NFL now; a former No. 6 pick who piled up 975 yards on the ground for a laughable Raiders offense last fall; and a veteran who’s currently on a streak of seven straight seasons of at least 700 rushing yards.

Darn good company, I’d say.

There’s more. Blocking? What Coleman lacks in size (5-foot-8, 220 pounds), he makes up in sheer rage. PFF graded him out with a 70-plus (out of a 100) or better in pass-blocking with Washington each of the last two seasons. Also per PFF: three sacks allowed in four seasons as a collegiate blocker.

The book says Coleman committed just one fumble in 639 collegiate touches as a runner or receiver with Washington and Arizona. And only one drop over more than 120 targets as a receiver.

In other words, safer than a steel deadbolt. Trustworthy. The kind of guy Payton craves, and will inevitably need, given that Dobbins joined the soft-tissue injury club Monday — a table that’s already got Jaylen Waddle and Marvin Mims Jr.

“I think he’s going to be fine,” Payton said of Dobbins. “We’re just being smart with it.”

It wasn’t just smart to draft Coleman out of the University of Washington. It was borderline genius. Dobbins is 27. He’s coming off the best two back-to-back seasons of his NFL career, a high-stepping, high-volume hammer who’s averaging 4.8 yards per touch since 2024. You need a tone-setting run on first down, he’s your man. You need a tough couple yards on third-and-short, No. 27 knows how to move those chains north.

It’s just that, over these last two seasons, he’s also averaged only 12 appearances and 10 starts. At his peak.

Dobbins has become the Broncos’ version of Aaron Gordon: Physical, essential, a good teammate and a fan favorite … whose body also has a habit of repeatedly failing on him.

The Broncos were 8-2 (.800) last fall when Dobbins started and 6-0 when he touched the rock 16 times or more. The Nuggets went 27-9 (.750) during the ’25-26 regular season when AG played and 26-7 (.788) when he started.

The parallels are more than a little uncanny, aren’t they? When both are healthy, their teams feel whole, their systems make sense. And if they weren’t there, neither franchise had truly found a comparable replacement in case of an injury.

Until now.

Coleman has spent the last 11 days or so looking like the Broncos’ most complete runner after Dobbins himself. Willing blocker? Yep. Weapon out of the backfield? That, too. Angry runner inside? Check. Secure with the football? Absolutely. Home-run speed? Sure, although maybe not to the degree of an RJ Harvey, Tyler Badie or Jaleel McLaughlin.

Harvey’s strengths are his second and third gears. You just rarely saw them between the tackles. And that’s fine. If Harvey becomes the Broncos’ version of James White, it’s not necessarily a wasted draft pick. As a speedster who’s better in space, beating defenders around the perimeter, Harvey’s more of a compliment/caddy to Dobbins, more lightning to his thunder, than a like-for-like substitute.

“I think (as a) young runner,” Payton noted last week, “you don’t feel like a rookie with Jonah.”

Thank goodness for that. You’ll say it this weekend. You’ll say it Week 5. And Week 10. And in the AFC Championship game, if the fates are kind.

And yet the Broncos now find themselves with three running backs who demand featuring.

“I think it����ap a good problem to have,” Payton said Thursday, asked if he still believes in his own adage. “I know you can feature two. I think three is difficult sometimes. But I’m not worried about that right now. Just — let����ap go, and these guys are all competing for their spots.”

Two days later, asked on Payton’s two-not-three belief, Broncos running backs coach Lou Ayeni visibly suppressed slight disagreement. The truth is that Denver �徱����find concrete roles at times last season for three backs — RJ Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie all had their niche down the stretch — and there’s wiggle room in new coordinator Davis Webb’s offense for a stable of RBs to run.

J.K. Dobbins will lead the pack again. RJ Harvey is developing and has torn Denver linebackers and safeties up all camp on wheel and choice routes out of the backfield. Plus, the Broncos didn’t draft Jonah Coleman early in the fourth round just to stash the rookie in 2026 — and Coleman’s already outrunning expectations in training camp.

The Davis Webb effect, an ‘unblockable’ DL and other Broncos camp takeaways

"Listen, if you’re a good player, we’ll find a way to use you," Ayeni told The Post on Saturday. "Like, yeah, I understand what Coach is saying about – I don’t know if it����ap about featuring them, or putting them all in the right position to help us win games. I think that����ap what we’ll do with those guys.”

The greater force powering this potential three-back carousel is Coleman, the 220-pound rookie who made an immediate impression on Denver's brass in an initial interview at the NFL Combine in February and has only gained momentum since. Ayeni noted, specifically, that Coleman played for Washington head coach Jedd Fisch for all four years of college football and he comes from a pro coaching tree. Fisch told The Post this spring that the running back will walk into the Broncos' building with an understanding "of a lot of NFL protection schemes."

That has played out through Denver's offseason program and beyond, as Coleman has frequently made plays as a chip-and-release back in passing situations during team periods this training camp. When asked Wednesday if any player has been a pleasant surprise in camp, Payton took a few seconds to think before specifically pointing to Coleman: "You don't feel a rookie," Payton said.

Ayeni took that evaluation a step further on Saturday.

"You just see a guy who doesn’t get rattled," Ayeni said on Coleman. "He can solve problems on the field. He’s a quick processor. And there’s just no panic in his game. There’s a lot of little savviness to him, for a rookie. Which is kind of hard to – usually, you grow into that. And he’s already got it. And I think the biggest thing for me with him is, like, man, he’s a lot better route-runner than you think. Got a little more quickness than you think. Better hands than you think.

"He's just a good football player."

In team periods, through a few weeks of camp, Coleman has already put more on tape than Harvey in getting skinny on between-the-tackles carries, which was a major growth point for the second-year back in his rookie season. Harvey scored 12 touchdowns in 2025 and was one of the more impressive backs in the league in bouncing off contact in the open field. But he appeared to struggle with his vision and decisiveness in hitting holes at times as a rookie, trying too often to hit home runs to the edge and averaging just 3.0 yards per carry when running outside the tackles.

Harvey, still, hasn't had many flashy reps through camp on cutting back to an inside hole on wide-zone carries. Still, he took clear RB1 reps Saturday in an apparent veteran-rest day for Dobbins, and the Broncos are encouraged by his progress in several areas. Ayeni's own kids, after all, darted around on the practice field wearing No. 12 Harvey jerseys.

"I just see a better player," Ayeni said of Harvey. "I really do. I see a player out here – like, he’s a fast kid already, and that was always his crutch. But now he’s playing faster.”

In particular, Harvey took leaps last season as a pass-protector because he �󲹻���to, as Ayeni pointed out, with Dobbins' season-ending injury in Week 10. Denver's utilization of Badie as their third-down back last season wasn't just because the Broncos trusted him more in obvious pass-protection situations; it was also to give Harvey a "breather," as Ayeni said, as he was banged up down the stretch in 2025 while shouldering an RB1 burden.

Coleman brings ready-made third-down traits, with pass-catching ability and enough force as a blocker to lift Commanders first-round LB Sonny Styles from air to dirt in a game against Ohio State last season. But Harvey has been getting significant work as the primary back in hurry-up team periods, signaling more trust in him in pure-passing situations.

"He certainly has the mind and the ability to go do that stuff, and then maybe we can get him more involved in some of the pass-game stuff when we’re doing it.”

The room, as a whole, has taken a massive leap -- as Payton has pointed out several times -- since the Broncos' head coach first arrived in 2023. Badie's role may become obsolete with Coleman's addition, but he's still a steady, high-IQ veteran who Denver trusts on passing downs. Fourth-year RB Jaleel McLaughlin has flashed typical standout speed on both pass-catching and outside runs in camp, and Denver has liked December waiver-claim Cody Schrader enough to give him significant third-team touches in camp.

"Name six running backs on an NFL team," offensive coordinator Davis Webb proclaimed Saturday, "that are as good as our depth right now."

Physically Unable to Perform list — OL Nick Gargiulo. Non-football injury list — ILB Jordan Turner. Did not practice — OLB Drew Sanders (unknown), TE Caleb Lohner (lower-body injury), WR Joseph Manjack IV (back)

Still no sign of the oft-injured Sanders, who’s been absent for unclear reasons through the first couple days of training camp. Lohner, meanwhile, hasn’t actually taken the field since Denver’s rookie minicamp in May, while rehabbing surgery for a lower-body injury.

Manjack IV, an undrafted rookie receiver out of TCU, is dealing with a back issue and could be back in camp as early as Monday, a source told The Denver Post.

The Jarrett Stidham-Sam Ehlinger QB2 competition has officially arrived. Maybe.

A day after Broncos head coach Sean Payton dodged a question about an impending backup-quarterback competition — “There’s competition at all these spots,” Payton said — Denver’s second-and-third-team offenses saw a massive shift in operation on the second full day of camp Saturday.

For the first time in any camp practice, since Denver first signed their erstwhile QB3 in March 2025, Sam Ehlinger took the second-team reps during every team period Saturday. Jarrett Stidham, who has served as the Broncos’ QB2 for three straight seasons, ran with the third-team offense.

Payton, for his part, again tempered any notion Saturday that Ehlinger has supplanted Stidham or is even challenging him for the backup job behind Bo Nix.

“There was nothing remarkable, or anything we discussed in meeting,” Payton said, asked about the reasoning for the change in reps. “So maybe they just unfolded where, yeah … but I wouldn’t make anything into it.”

Still, there’s something to be made of it, given that Ehlinger largely outplayed Stidham by eye test during Denver’s summer offseason program and has had a strong start to this year’s camp. The 27-year-old former Texas star established himself well in the Broncos’ quarterback room last season, and turned down multiple contract offers throughout 2025 to continue developing in Denver’s system — and, in particular, to attach himself to now-Broncos play-caller Davis Webb.

“I think we just sold our program, and the offense,” Payton said, asked Saturday about Ehlinger choosing to stay in Denver. “You can never promise anything other than, I would say this – we saw immediate growth. And you’d have to ask him, but I think he felt like, ‘I want to continue with this offense and continue where I’m going.’”

Ehlinger re-signed with Denver on a one-year deal worth $2 million in March, and would be considerably less expensive as a QB2 option if he were to win a backup job in camp. Stidham will cost $8 million against Denver’s cap in 2026, playing out the final season of a two-year, $12 million deal. Despite a shaky performance in relief of Nix in last year’s AFC Championship loss to New England, though, Stidham still has considerable goodwill in Denver’s building, as Payton said multiple times during that game week in January that he viewed Stidham as a starter-level NFL quarterback.

Top Plays

Denver’s offense largely captured attention for the second straight day of camp, with Nix roaring in excitement after rolling to his right and lofting a touchdown bomb for receiver Pat Bryant early in one team period. Stidham, too, launched a missile later in 11-on-11 work to former UFL product Hakeem Butler, a 6-foot-5 receiver who signed with Denver in June and has received a heap of targets through the first couple days of camp.

The Broncos’ defense didn’t create any turnovers in team period, but outside linebacker Jonah Elliss flashed a remarkable dose of athleticism on one rep, leaping with both hands to knock away an Ehlinger ball at the line of scrimmage. After Denver briefly planned to shift Elliss to inside linebacker this offseason before reneging, the third-year Utah product is continuing to solidify himself as the Broncos’ OLB3 behind Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper.

“All the cut-up tape, his production, his ball disruption, just, for me, felt like, ‘Man, we’re taking a position that����ap harder to find and moving him to a position that we think might be a little bit easier to play,'” Payton said on Elliss. “So that����ap not to say that we can’t battle a few things, but I think we felt like, ‘Man, he’s really ascending as an edge player,’ and we didn’t want to disrupt that.”

Thumbs Up

Mims rising. Through three seasons in Denver, one-time second-round pick Marvin Mims Jr. had never been able to convince the Broncos’ staff that he was capable of running the full gamut of a stop-and-go route tree. That may be changing under new play-caller Davis Webb, in Mims’ Year Four.

Mims has emerged as perhaps the biggest skill-position winner of Denver’s camp through two days, doing considerable work over the intermediate and deep areas of the field and showcasing a more advanced route package than simply staying in motion. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, the 24-year-old Mims has caught a variety of passes from Nix, Stidham and Ehlinger alike, and Payton notably singled him out when asked Saturday on how a jumbled group of young receivers can separate themselves.

“I’ve said this before about Mims — you’ve kind of seen it every time,” Payton said, noting Mims’ reliability when called upon. “I always feel like, ‘Man, more touches.'”

It remains to be seen, ultimately, if this is finally Mims’ year for more touches.

Thumbs Down

Not-so-happy feet. Yes, Stidham was placed in a completely disadvantageous situation in January’s AFC title game against the Patriots. His margin for success was razor-thin. But the longtime Broncos backup did himself absolutely no favors by often operating with indecision, including a baffling first-half backwards pass that became a damning lost fumble after Stidham backpedaled fruitlessly to avoid a rush.

Stidham’s strengths have popped through a couple days of camp — intermediate and deep-ball accuracy, in particular — but his flaws were prominently on display Saturday. He took two would-be sacks during his last four reps during team period, and at one point again wheeled and sprinted backwards in a near-Looney Tunes sight. He may need a solid camp to maintain his hold on the backup job.

Odds and Ends

* Don’t expect any impending extensions for Broncos like Mims, Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, Brandon Jones and beyond. Payton — who generally will let slip at the podium if the Broncos are close in contract negotiations with any key players — hinted he hasn’t met yet with Denver’s front office to discuss any of the Broncos’ key pieces on expiring deals.

“I’m gonna be honest — right at this stage of the season, those things are like 179 and 180 on my list of to-do things,” Payton said.

* Broncos running back RJ Harvey again was the primary RB for a situational, hurry-up team period at the end of practice Saturday, which would indicate Denver’s growing confidence in Harvey to handle pressure in third-down passing situations. Payton confirmed Harvey will likely contribute more on third downs in 2026, after reserve Tyler Badie largely served as the Broncos’ de-facto third-down back last season.

* Payton said the Broncos will likely hold their first practice in pads Wednesday next week.

“It’d be a good one to be at,” Payton said.

Fans, mark your calendars.