The thing about windows, though, is that they close. Denver has two more seasons before it has to start thinking about a massive extension for quarterback Bo Nix, which will put considerable strain on their long-term cap. It’s no secret. The world knows it. Those inside the Broncos’ facility know it. Their time to strike is now, heading into 2026 free agency with roughly $28 million in current cap room — — and plenty of levers to pull to create more space and throw money around in the market.

It’s also no secret that the Broncos need more skill talent. They need to add a running back, tight end, and potentially wide receiver. They need a linebacker either in free agency or the draft, and quietly have some options at safety. In January, owner Greg Penner described Denver’s approach with a phrase that’ll come to define this offseason, whatever size of swing the front office takes: “We’ll be opportunistically aggressive.”

The legal tampering period of free agency, when teams can officially make contact with players and agents, begins at 10:00 a.m. MT Monday. New contracts can officially be signed come 2:00 p.m. MT on Wednesday. Here’s The Denver Post’s position-by-position Broncos guide to 2026 free agency, informed via numerous conversations with NFL agents and sources across the past two weeks.

Quarterback

Who Denver has: QB1 Bo Nix, QB2 Jarrett Stidham

Who Denver could lose: QB3 Sam Ehlinger

What Denver needs: Another QB in the room, and to re-sign Ehlinger

Key market options (former team in parenthesis): Zach Wilson (Dolphins), Sam Howell (Eagles), Teddy Bridgewater (Buccaneers)

This will depend entirely on whether the Broncos actually shop Stidham, and potentially save themselves $6.5 million in corresponding cap room. If they trade Stidham to a quarterback-needy team for some draft capital, Denver could easily look to re-sign Ehlinger and promote him to Nix’s official backup, after Ehlinger stuck to Davis Webb’s hip in 2025. The Broncos would clearly need another name to push Ehlinger in such a circumstance, though.

If that wouldn’t be a young draft pick, the Broncos could look to bring back Zach Wilson, who was part of a tight-knit group with Nix and Stidham in Denver in 2024. Paton also did plenty of work on longtime backup Howell in the 2022 draft, and former Bronco Bridgewater was Sean Payton’s trusted backup in New Orleans in 2018 and 2019.

Running back

Who Denver has: RB1/RB2 RJ Harvey, RB3 Tyler Badie (likely to sign ERFA deal)

Who Denver could lose: RB1/RB2 J.K. Dobbins, RB4 Jaleel McLaughlin

What Denver needs: A true RB1 or Harvey complement, and depth

Key market options: Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks), Travis Etienne Jr. (Jaguars), Rico Dowdle (Panthers), Tyler Allgeier (Falcons), Kenneth Gainwell (Steelers), Emanuel Wilson (Packers)

Here’s the spot that’ll draw the most buzz next week. The Broncos have already been connected to some of the top names on the market, clearly needing an upgrade in the room even if Denver brings back Dobbins on the cheap; the oft-injured veteran simply can’t be relied upon to play a full season. The Seahawks elected not to give Walker a one-year, $14 million franchise tag after a Super Bowl MVP, and the star RB could easily command upwards of $12 to $14 million on the market.

Would Denver swing on that price, though? Walker wasn’t good in pass protection last year (two sacks and nine pressures in 51 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF), and the Broncos need a third-down back whom Nix trusts. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Etienne is a highly intriguing fit for Denver, a bigger back who’s dynamic in the passing game (six receiving touchdowns in 2025). The 25-year-old Allgeier is a power back without excessive tread on the tires who could be available at a lower price, but expect Denver to look elsewhere.

Don’t be surprised if the Broncos walk away with Dobbins, Harvey and a supplemental piece instead of swinging big here. Wilson is an interesting name, a 226-pound RB who ran for 496 yards in Green Bay last season.

Wide receiver

Who Denver has: WR1 Courtland Sutton, WR2 Troy Franklin, WR3 Pat Bryant, WR4 Marvin Mims Jr.

Who Denver could lose: WR5 Lil’Jordan Humphrey

What Denver needs: A high-upside complement to Sutton, or at least another trustworthy WR4/5 option

Key market options: Alec Pierce (Colts), Jauan Jennings (49ers), Wan’Dale Robinson (Giants), Rashid Shaheed (Seahawks), Mike Evans (Buccaneers), Stefon Diggs (Patriots), Romeo Doubs (Packers), Jahan Dotson (Eagles), Jalen Nailor (Vikings)

The Broncos like their current receiver room. The Paton-Payton braintrust has made that clear this entire offseason, and their firing of receivers coach Keary Colbert and hire of longtime Payton associate Ronald Curry signal that Denver believes in unlocking the potential of its current group rather than needing a drastic personnel overhaul. That being said, they need to add a piece here, whether in free agency or via a deep draft class.

Pierce is the true difference-maker on the market. There are few in the NFL like him, a 6-foot-3 deep-ball extraordinaire who racked up 1,003 yards last year on 21.3 yards per catch. Denver got an up-close look at him in a Week 2 loss to Indianapolis. But one agent The Post spoke with pinpointed Pierce’s likely market value at $27 to $30 million, which would be a steep price for a team already giving Sutton $23 million yearly. Don’t expect Denver to get into a bidding war for him.

The rest of the market is somewhat iffy. Jennings has the frame (6-foot-3), blocking prowess and red-zone ability (nine TDs in 2025) that Payton would love. Robinson will likely land somewhere in the $10 to $15 million range, and would bring a high-volume slot weapon that Denver doesn’t currently have.

Doubs is a definite potential fit for the Broncos here; Denver has interest in the former Green Bay receiver, an NFL source told The Post. He’s a big-bodied target who doesn’t demand the ball but has good red-zone production and can play in a variety of alignments. Keep an eye on Dotson as a potential depth piece, too, as Dotson’s agency CAA also represents Nix. He’s a former 2022 first-round pick whose production stalled out in Philadelphia, but he can block, play from the slot and hasn’t dropped a pass since 2023.

Tight end

Who Denver has: TE1/TE2 Evan Engram

Who Denver could lose: TE1/TE2 Adam Trautman, TE3 Nate Adkins, TE4 Lucas Krull

What Denver needs: A legitimate in-line TE who can complement Engram as a pass-catcher, and stay on the field on any down

Key market options: David Njoku (Browns), Isaiah Likely (Ravens), Cade Otton (Buccaneers), Chig Okonkwo (Titans), Dallas Goedert (Eagles), Daniel Bellinger (Giants), Charlie Kolar (Ravens)

Denver can’t simply run it back from 2025 and expect better production from Engram, who caught 50 passes for 461 yards in 2025, under new play-caller Davis Webb. The Broncos need a versatile weapon whom they trust as both a blocker and a matchup-threat receiver. Otton might just be that guy: he played in-line (attached to the offensive tackle) on nearly half his snaps in Tampa Bay in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus, and has caught 59 passes in each of the last two seasons.

Otton’s yearly value has been pinpointed in NFL circles somewhere around Jake Ferguson’s four-year, $50 million extension with Dallas in 2025. If Denver wants to spend at TE, he and Likely would be the most well-rounded options on the Market. Njoku and Goedert are likely past their primes, and Okonkwo’s not a blocker.

Bellinger had 88 yards and a touchdown for the Giants against Denver in Week 7, and is seeking $7 to $8 million yearly. Kolar is the most intriguing upside swing here, a 6-foot-6 blocker who was stuck behind multiple TEs in Baltimore in the receiving game.

Offensive line

Who Denver has: LT1 Garett Bolles, LG1 Ben Powers, C1 Luke Wattenberg, RG1 Quinn Meinerz, RT1 Mike McGlinchey, OL2 Alex Palczewski, OT2 Matt Peart, OT2 Frank Crum, C2 Alex Forsyth

Who Denver could lose: Nobody

What Denver needs: Maybe another swing tackle

Key market options: Wide-open

Denver doesn’t need to spend here, with its current starting offensive line set again for 2026. The Broncos could always look to cut or deal Powers to create cap room and have a ready successor in Alex Palczewski, whom they inked to a two-year extension Thursday. It’s more likely they look to the draft to bolster depth here, although they could certainly cut Peart to save over $3 million in cap room and target another backup tackle in free agency. Players like former Vikings veteran Justin Skule or Seahawks backup Josh Jones could be good value there.

Defensive line

Who Denver has: DE1 Zach Allen, NT1 D.J. Jones, OLB1 Nik Bonitto, OLB2 Jonathon Cooper, DE/DT2 Eyioma Uwazurike, DT2 Malcolm Roach, OLB2 Jonah Elliss, OLB2 Dondrea Tillman (likely to sign ERFA deal), OLB3 Que Robinson, DE/DT3 Sai’vion Jones

Who Denver could lose: DE1 John Franklin-Myers, DE/DT3 Jordan Jackson

What Denver needs: A cheap, productive interior defensive lineman to push Uwazurike, Roach and Jones

Key market options: Logan Hall (Buccaneers), David Onyemata (Falcons), Calais Campbell (Cardinals), Sebastian Joseph-Day (Titans), Rakeem Nunez-Roches (Giants)

The Broncos already have massive amounts of money tied up in their defensive line, and Franklin-Myers is already all but gone. His likely landing spot is Tennessee, where recently-acquired defensive end The thinking from agents who spoke with The Post is that Denver could bring in depth to help supplant Franklin-Myers, but will likely rely on its pieces already in the building to fill the void.

Ironically, the Broncos’ movements in the defensive-line market will depend on Franklin-Myers’ own movements. Agents are completely across the board on projecting Franklin-Myers’ yearly value in a weak class; one suggested $12 to $14 million, one suggested $16 to $18 million, and one went as high as $20 to $22 million. If teams end up bidding closer to that higher end, it could price the Broncos out of what they’d be willing to spend for another body in the room. Onyemata, Joseph-Day and Nunez-Roches could all offer cheap, veteran depth.

Inside linebacker

Who Denver has: LB1 Dre Greenlaw, LB2/LB3 Karene Reid, LB2/LB3 Jordan Turner, LB2/LB3 Levelle Bailey, LB2/LB3 Drew Sanders

Who Denver could lose: LB1 Alex Singleton, LB1/LB2 Justin Strnad

What Denver needs: An instant-impact starter, or at the very least a high-end LB3.

Key market options: Devin Lloyd (Jaguars), Nakobe Dean (Eagles), Quay Walker (Packers), Quincy Williams (Jets), Kaden Elliss (Falcons), Alex Anzalone (Lions), E.J. Speed (Texans), Bobby Okereke (Giants)

It’s a great year to need a middle linebacker. Denver could certainly look to a strong draft class to address this spot. But an NFL source who met with Denver at last week’s NFL Combine told The Post that the Broncos will have a “significant appetite” in the free-agent linebacker market.

That could mean they’ll take a monster swing on Lloyd, a 2025 All-Pro and the kind of playmaker that Vance Joseph would have a field day with in the middle of Denver’s defense. It could also mean they’ll re-sign Singleton as their green-dot defensive leader — he’s been pinpointed by multiple NFL sources at somewhere between $5 to $8 million yearly — and add another piece to compete for a starting job. Strnad is likely headed for new pastures, as he told The Post after the season he wouldn’t be back in Denver unless it was in a clear starting role.

The Broncos have interest in Anzalone and Speed, sources said, both potential green-dot options or LB3 pieces who will come in below the top of the market, where NFL sources pinpointed Lloyd likely to come in between $15 and $17 million annually. Dean is another interesting and versatile option who told The Post at the Super Bowl he likes watching the Broncos’ defense and would be interested in Denver in free agency if the price was right.

Secondary

Who Denver has: CB1 Pat Surtain II, CB1 Riley Moss, NB1 Ja’Quan McMillian, NB2/CB2 Jahdae Barron, CB2 Kris Abrams-Draine, S1 Talanoa Hufanga, S1 Brandon Jones, S2 Devon Key (likely to sign ERFA deal), S2 JL Skinner

Who Denver could lose: S2 P.J. Locke

What Denver needs: A third safety to replace Locke and potentially push Jones

Key market options: Tony Adams (Jets), Dane Belton (Giants), Kyle Dugger (Steelers), Andrew Wingard (Jaguars), Alohi Gilman (Ravens), Ifeatu Melifonwu (Dolphins), D’Anthony Bell (Panthers), Rodney Thomas II (Colts)

A notable Broncos development to track in free agency: Denver has expressed interest in adding a safety, several NFL sources told The Post this week. Locke is likely headed elsewhere after a nice fill-in stretch for the injured Jones late in 2025, and the Broncos want to add another piece to replace him, as Hufanga and Jones are both injury risks. Wingard is a name to watch here, a seven-year Jaguars veteran who recorded 84 tackles and nine passes defensed as a full-time starter in 2025.

The Broncos also did work on Melifonwu in last year’s free agency, and Denver tracked Bell’s status on the waiver wire as the Seahawks pulled him between the practice squad and active roster in 2025, sources said. At the very least, expect Denver to sign a depth safety who can also be a special-teams contributor.

Special teams

Who Denver has: K1 Wil Lutz, P1 Jeremy Crawshaw, LS1 Mitchell Fraboni

Who Denver could lose: Nobody

What Denver needs: Nothing

Key market options: Wide open

Denver need not spend much time here on specialists.

And for the first time since the Hall of Fame quarterback retired, Denver has a long-term answer under center. However, with Nix suffering a fractured ankle in the divisional round game, the Broncos turn to backup Jarrett Stidham to face the Patriots.

Broncos players express faith in backup QB Jarrett Stidham after Bo Nix’s injury

From Trevor Siemian to Case Keenum to Nix, here’s a look at the Broncos’ different starting quarterbacks since Manning retired, who they are, how they fared in the role and where they are today.

Trevor Siemian

How he landed with the Broncos: Siemian was selected in the seventh round (250th pick overall) in 2015.

How he fared in Denver: Siemian played 25 games, making 24 starts for the Broncos and leading them to a 13-11 record. He completed 59.3% of his passes for 5,686 yards, 30 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. He was traded to the Vikings along with a 2018 seventh-round pick following the 2017 season for a 2019 fifth-round pick. The fifth-round pick was used to select linebacker Justin Hollins.

Where he is now: The 34-year-old journeyman was signed to the Tennessee Titans' practice squad following training camp and remained on it all season long. He made numerous stops in the years after Denver, including with the Vikings, Jets, Saints, Bears and Bengals.

Paxton Lynch

How he landed with the Broncos: The Memphis standout was selected in the first round (26th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. “He was the guy,” general manager John Elway said after selecting Lynch. “And we’re thrilled to have him.”

How he fared in Denver: Lynch didn’t live up to his first-round hype in Denver, playing just five games (starting four) in his two seasons with the Broncos. He had a 1-3 record while completing 61.7% of his passes for 792 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. He was cut before the start of the 2018 season.

Where he is now: Lynch, 31, signed with the Colorado Spartans of the National Arena League on Nov. 1.

Brock Osweiler

How he landed with the Broncos: Osweiler was originally selected in the second round (57th overall) of the 2012 NFL draft. Following the Super Bowl 50 win, he signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Houston Texans. He was traded a year later to Cleveland but was released before the start of the 2018 season. Shortly after, he re-signed with Denver after Lynch suffered a shoulder injury.

How he fared in Denver: His second stint with the Broncos wasn’t as memorable as his first. He played in six games (starting four) and finished with an 0-4 record in his starts. He finished the year completing 55.8% of his passes for 1,088 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions.

Where he is now: Osweiler, 35, retired from playing in 2019. He now works as a .

Case Keenum

How he landed with the Broncos: Keenum signed a two-year, $36 million deal before the start of the 2018 season.

How he fared in Denver: Keenum became the first Broncos quarterback to start every game in a season since Peyton Manning’s 2014 season. He opened strong, leading Denver to a 2-0 start, but the team finished the season 6-10. Keenum completed 62.3% of his passes for 3,890 yards, 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He was traded along with a seventh-round pick to Washington for a sixth-round pick following the end of the season.

Where he is now: The 37-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Bears last April. He was the team's third-string quarterback behind Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent.

Joe Flacco

How he landed with the Broncos: The former Super Bowl MVP was traded to Denver in February 2019 for a fourth-round draft pick.

How he fared in Denver: Flacco started eight games before the Broncos placed him on injured reserve for a herniated disc in his neck. Denver went 2-6 in his starts, where he completed 65.3% of his passes for 1,822 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.

Where he is now: Flacco, 41, finished the 2025 season as the backup quarterback for the Bengals. He opened the year as the Browns' starting quarterback after signing a one-year, $4 million contract. He was benched by Cleveland after four games in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel. Later that week, he was traded to Cincinnati, where he took over the starting job until Joe Burrow returned in Week 16. He finished the year with a 60.3% passing percentage, throwing for 2,479 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Brandon Allen

How he landed with the Broncos: Allen was claimed off waivers from the Rams before the start of the 2019 season.

How he fared in Denver: He started in three games for the Broncos after Flacco suffered a season-ending injury in Week 9 of the 2019 season. He won his first game and lost the other two, completing 46.4% of his passes for 515 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Where he is now: Allen, 33, signed a one-year, $1.42 million deal with the Titans before the 2025 season. He appeared in one game, completing 17 of 30 passes for 72 yards and an interception.

Drew Lock

How he landed with the Broncos: Lock was selected in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2019 NFL draft out of Missouri.

How he fared in Denver: Lock made his first start during his rookie season in Week 13. In his five starts, he helped the Broncos to a 4-1 record to close out the season. He started 13 games in 2020 and three in 2021. He finished his time in Denver with an 8-13 record, 59.3% completion percentage, 4,740 yards, 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.

Where he is now: Lock, 29, signed a two-year, $5 million contract last April to be Sam Darnold's backup in Seattle. It's his second stint with the Seahawks. He made five appearances, completing 2 of 3 passes for 15 yards this year.

Jeff Driskel

How he landed with the Broncos: Driskel signed as a free agent before the 2020 season.

How he fared in Denver: Driskel made his first appearance in Week 2 of the 2020 season after Drew Lock suffered a shoulder injury early in the game against the Steelers. He started in Week 3 in a losing effort to the Buccaneers but was pulled in the fourth quarter. In three appearances (one start), he completed 54.7% of his passes for 432 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Where he is now: The 32-year-old signed with the Commanders in December off the Cardinals' practice squad after Marcus Mariota's injury. He did not play in 2025.

Brett Rypien

How he landed with the Broncos: Rypien signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019.

How he fared in Denver: The nephew of former Washington star quarterback Mark Rypien came on in relief of Jeff Driskel in Week 3 of the 2020 season during Denver’s loss to Tampa Bay. He earned the start in Week 4, leading the Broncos to a 37-28 road win against the Jets. He also had four appearances (two starts) in 2022, coming in for an injured Russell Wilson. In eight games (three starts) in Denver, he completed 61.5% of his passes for 778 yards, four touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Where he is now: Rypien, 29, opened the 2025 season on the Bengals' practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster after Joe Burrow's injury, but was released after Cincinnati traded for Joe Flacco. He signed with the Colts but was released in December. The Vikings picked him up off waivers a day later.

Kendall Hinton

How he landed with the Broncos: Hinton signed as an undrafted free agent in April 2020. He was waived before the start of the season, but signed to the practice squad that November.

How he fared in Denver: Hinton was a quarterback at Wake Forest but was projected to be a receiver in the NFL. He became the Broncos’ emergency starter in Week 12 of the 2020 season after all four of Denver’s quarterbacks were ruled ineligible to play due to COVID-19 protocol. While Phillip Lindsay technically started under center, Hinton was the team’s primary passer for the game. He completed 1 of 9 passes for 13 yards and two interceptions in a 31-3 loss to the Saints.

Where he is now: After emerging as a depth receiver for the Broncos from 2021-22 (39 catches for 486 yards and a touchdown), he was waived during training camp in August 2023. The 28-year-old is currently a free agent. He's also a , according to his Instagram.

Teddy Bridgewater

How he landed with the Broncos: Denver traded a 2021 sixth-round pick to the Panthers to acquire Bridgewater in April.

How he fared in Denver: The journeyman quarterback emerged as the team’s starter after beating out incumbent Drew Lock in the preseason. The Broncos’ record was 7-6 through his 13 starts. He has completed 66.9% of his passes for 3,052 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Where is he now: The 33-year-old quarterback backed up Baker Mayfield for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025. He had four appearances, completing 8 of 15 passes for 62 yards.

Russell Wilson

How he landed with the Broncos: In one of the biggest trades in Denver sports history, the Broncos traded for Wilson and a fourth-round draft pick in exchange for quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick.

How he fared in Denver: Before the 2024 season, Wilson had been the most stable starter for the Broncos since Peyton Manning retired. He started 30 games for Denver, completing 63.3% of his passes for 6,594 yards, 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. The Broncos compiled an 11-19 record during that span. In addition, he and his wife, Ciara, bought a $25 million mansion in Cherry Hills Village (and sold it for $21.5 million).

Where he is now: Wilson, 37, signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Giants before the 2025 season. He opened the season as New York's starter but was benched in favor of Jaxson Dart following an 0-3 start. He later fell to the No. 3 spot behind Jameis Winston. He completed 69 of 119 passes for 831 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Jarrett Stidham

How he landed with the Broncos: Stidham signed a two-year, $10 million contract in March 2023. He signed a two-year, $12 million extension prior to the 2025 season.

How he fared (so far) in Denver: Stidham, 29, made his first start in Week 17 of the 2023 season against the Chargers. In three appearances (two starts), he's completed 60.6% of his passes for 496 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He beat out Zach Wilson to be the team's backup in 2024.

Where he is now: He's spent the last two seasons as Denver's backup quarterback to Nix. He'll be the Broncos starter on Sunday against his former team, the Patriots, in the AFC Championship game.

Bo Nix

How he landed with the Broncos: Nix was selected in the first round (12th pick overall) in the 2024 NFL draft out of Oregon.

How he fared (so far) in Denver: The 25-year-old has led Denver to back-to-back playoff appearances since getting drafted. He's started 34 regular-season games, completing 64.8% of his passes for 7,706 yards, 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. He also has 786 yards rushing and nine touchdowns in his career. His win over the Bills in the AFC divisional round was just Denver's second playoff victory by a quarterback they had drafted, joining Tim Tebow.

Where he is now: He is Denver's starting quarterback but is out for the season after suffering a fractured ankle in the AFC divisional round.

No problems, Houston. Six weeks ago, who could have foreseen the AFC South being one of the best races out there and not including Indianapolis? The last time Houston lost was to the Broncos on Nov. 1. The last time Jacksonville lost? A week later, to the Texans. DeMeco Ryans and his salty defense have a great chance to run their record to 10-5 and their winning streak to seven Sunday against the Raiders.

Tua the bench. The Dolphins made a big change this week, benching quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Instead of former Bronco Zach Wilson, coach Mike McDaniel is turning to rookie Quinn Ewers. The bigger impact here, though: Miami might well be moving toward dumping Tagovailoa, which after this season would come with $99 million in dead cap charges. That would blow Russell Wilson’s record out of the water.

Steelers closing in. Pittsburgh fell to 6-6 but has since won two straight to get to 8-6 and in control of the AFC North. At one game ahead of Baltimore, Week 18 could still end up being a division championship game. In the meantime, Aaron Rodgers and company have a tough road trip to Detroit, plus a trip to Cleveland to deal with. The good news for Mike Tomlin’s team is that it’s built a bit of margin to work with. At this rate, the second-place finisher is getting left out of the postseason.

Around the NFC

Game of the year. Seattle’s 38-37 walk-off, overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams might have been the best Thursday Night Football game in history. The Seahawks trailed by 16 at home midway through the fourth quarter, stormed back to tie the game and then won on a salty 2-point conversion call dialed up by former Broncos assistant Klint Kubiak and caught by former Broncos tight end Eric Saubert. Incredible game overall. Now Seattle’s alone in first in the rugged NFC West at 12-3.

COY consideration. He’s not going to win coach of the year, but find somebody who’s done a better job than Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. The club’s dealt with injury after injury, the strange departure of Brandon Ayiuk and plays in the toughest division in football. All the Niners have done is get to 10-4. Not only that, but San Francisco at this point controls its own fate. They got a boost from Seattle on Thursday night. Shanahan’s team has a tough finish, but if they can win out — at Indianapolis, then Chicago and Seattle at home — they’ll be the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Who wants the South? Does anybody care to be crowned NFC South champion? The Bucs have lost consecutive games to New Orleans and Atlanta. Carolina could have taken control of the division but lost last week to the Saints, too. Now Tampa and Carolina play twice over the final three games of the season to try to sort out who’s going to the playoffs. The Panthers have a tougher game in between — vs. Seattle compared to Tampa traveling to Miami — but the best analysis of this division overall so far has been, basically, “Who knows?”

Game of the Week

New England at Baltimore

With two terrific games already in the rearview and the Broncos and Jaguars also not under consideration for this exercise, we get to potentially the fourth-best game of the weekend. It����ap still a dandy because of where the Patriots and Ravens each sit. New England blew a 21-0 lead to Buffalo and now has Josh Allen looking awfully big in the rearview mirror. The Ravens are flawed and flummoxing, and yet they can still force Pittsburgh into a division title game in Week 18. Who would want to face Lamar Jackson in the playoffs if they’ve won, say, four in a row entering Wild Card weekend? The Patriots have fallen behind Denver for the No. 1 seed, but if they get through this game, finishing vs. Miami and the New York Jets will keep the pressure on Denver and hold the Bills at arm’s length. Easier said than done as three-point road underdogs, but the bet here is they find a way.

Patriots 24, Ravens 23

Lock of the Week

Buffalo at Cleveland

Allen’s gone Superman mode the past three weeks to pull Buffalo from a little wobbly to looking like a force to be reckoned with in the AFC. The past two weeks have seen the Bills trail Cincinnati by 10 in the fourth quarter and trail the Patriots by three touchdowns early. Allen turned them both into wins. Between another MVP-type run and a league-best rushing attack led by Dalvin Cook, this is a group that����ap rounding into form. They need to win their final three and have the Patriots drop a division game against either the Jets or Miami to pull off a full-on division stunner, but even if they end up second in the AFC East, nobody wants to see Sean McDermott����ap team coming to their building on Wild Card weekend. Oh, yeah, and don’t trip up against those sometimes-pesky Browns on the road as a 10.5-point favorite.

Bills 33, Browns 19

Upset of the Week

Los Angeles Chargers at Dallas

The Chargers may feel a long way back of the Broncos in the AFC West, but they’re really not. They’ve just not been able to make up any ground in three months because Denver hasn’t lost since, well, the last time the Broncos and Chargers played Week 3. Jim Harbaugh’s team is beat up and quarterback Justin Herbert gets battered on a weekly basis. And yet the group is 10-4 and just needs a pair of wins and one Broncos loss to set up a division title game in Week 18 in Denver. Easier said than done, considering the run Denver is on and also the fact that L.A. could be underdogs in its next two games on the road against the Cowboys and at home against surging Houston. Still, if ever there’s a team that can be scored upon, it’s Dallas, and Jesse Minter’s defense can at least slow the Cowboys down. The Chargers have a great chance to keep pace despite being 2.5-point underdogs.

Chargers 27, Cowboys 24

Rodgers reunion. What kind of reception will Aaron Rodgers receive when he returns with Pittsburgh to the site of his storied, success-drenched two-year stint with the New York Jets? Wait… actually, yeah, that was rough. Maybe he’ll have Zach Wilson-esque amnesia. The Steelers piled on a bunch of big-name, veteran additions this offseason, led by the 41-year-old quarterback. Will they actually be good?

Miami seat Heat? Speaking of the former Broncos QB — not the former almost-Broncos-QB — Wilson’s the No. 2 for Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins now. McDaniels is a wunderkind coach who somewhat suddenly needs his team to actually win some games. One bad season doesn’t spell doom — Miami did win 11 games in 2023 before going 8-9 last year – but 1.5 might make things awfully uncomfortable. Starting on the road against Indy is a chance for a good start.

Orange state. Ohio housed a considerable percentage of the NFL’s offseason headscratchers. Cincinnati enraged its first-round draft pick and its only true defensive standout and still fared better than Cleveland’s decision to select quarterbacks in the third AND fifth rounds of the draft. At least the Browns came to their senses and paid their all-everything pass-rusher, Myles Garrett. Fittingly, these teams open the season against each other.

Around the NFC

Parsons and the Pack. There just aren’t many trades in the NFL as seismic as Dallas dealing Micah Parsons to Green Bay on the eve of the regular season. Much of the conversation’s been about Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, but the Packers vault to the top of the conversation in the NFC. That����ap assuming Parsons’ back is good to go. Green Bay could use him right out of the gate against Detroit at Lambeau Field. Parsons on one defense and Aidan Hutchinson on the other. Have fun, offensive lines.

Wide-open West. The NFC West might be the most wide-open division in football — or, the most wide-open actually good division (sorry, NFC South). The Rams are deep, and Arizona’s a young team with fun weapons in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride. San Francisco and Seattle also have real division title hopes, too, and they face off Week 1 in Seattle. Would you rather pay Brock Purdy $53 million a year or Sam Darnold $33 million a year? Wait, don’t answer that.

Spittin’ mad. Eagles DT Jalen Carter got tossed from the first game of the year without playing a snap. How? Well, by spitting on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. The reigning Super Bowl champs better hope that����ap the dumbest thing that one of their players does this season. They got away with it — after a lightning delay, just for kicks — against the Cowboys in a 24-20 win.

Game of the Week

Baltimore at Buffalo

It would be easy to peg this as an AFC title game preview if not for that pesky Patrick Mahomes, who’s played in that game every year as a starter. Still, two prime AFC contenders with future Hall of Fame quarterbacks who have both been stymied by the Chiefs makes for real good television out of the gate. By DVOA, the 2020-24 Ravens and Bills have put together the two best five-year runs without a Super Bowl title in NFL history. How did this entry about a terrific game become so thoroughly about Mahomes? Welcome to the loaded-but-frustrated AFC.

Ravens 31, Bills 30

Lock of the Week

New York Giants at Washington

In 2023, the Giants won six games and the Commanders won four. Then Washington got new ownership, hired GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, drafted Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall in the 2024 draft, and became one of the best teams in football. The Giants, meanwhile, stuck with GM Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll, drafted receiver Malik Nabers at No. 6 overall instead of any of the three remaining first-round QBs, won three games, stuck with Schoen and Daboll again, and now enter 2025 with Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback. Slightly different trajectories from the division rivals.

Commanders 34, Giants 13

Upset of the Week

Houston at Los Angeles Rams

The Rams and head coach Sean McVay have one of the deepest rosters in football. They’ll be widely picked as a contender in the NFC. Matthew Stafford is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Things are good in Kroenke land. Except Stafford missed a big chunk of camp with a back injury. That, plus a terrific Texans defensive front led by Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., make this one a tough start for the Rams, who are 3.5-point favorites.

Texans 24, Rams 23

Stay here. Develop. Think about the longer-term future. Cash in down the road.

For Ehlinger, that meant getting cut Tuesday and signed to the practice squad Wednesday, even though the Broncos’ No. 3 quarterback could have gone somewhere else.

Payton went as far Thursday as to say two other teams had interest in Ehlinger as their No. 2.

“This is the first time I can ever recall a player like Sam having an opportunity with two clubs to be the No. 2 and chose to stay,” Payton said. “That����ap a credit to the program.”

Payton and general manager George Paton each said on Thursday that Ehlinger has been better than expected.

Payton called him “a real pleasant surprise.” Paton said the former Indianapolis quarterback has been “better than I anticipated” and that “we consider him a 53-man player.”

Last year, the Broncos traded for Zach Wilson and put him through something of a rehab and development year after a tough start to his career in New York. Ehlinger wasn’t the No. 2 overall pick in a draft like Wilson, but he had more downs than ups with the Colts.

Payton thinks this is a long-term sweet spot for Denver. If you have the answer at the top of the room, like he believes the Broncos do in Bo Nix, that doesn’t mean you should stop mining for talent out of the college ranks or around the league. Currently, Minnesota and San Francisco are among a small group of teams that play this game well.

“The team that did that the best for a while was Green Bay,” Payton said. “Ron Wolf was the general manager, and they had (Brett) Favre and then (Mark) Brunell. Then Aaron Brooks. And Ty Detmer. And (Matt) Hasselbeck.

“They just were in that business. Oftentimes, you can trade a commodity. A little bit like what happened with (wide receiver Devaughn) Vele. Draft at a certain number and then trade (higher).”

Denver clearly believes in its development infrastructure, from Payton to veteran coaches like Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael to quarterbacks coach Davis Webb. Webb told The Post recently that they targeted Ehlinger this spring as a player with development upside.

Last year, Wilson didn’t play a snap but got $6 million on a one-year deal from Miami in free agency. Teddy Bridgewater played two years with Payton in New Orleans. After going 5-0 in place of an injured Drew Brees in 2019, he landed a three-year, $63 million deal in Carolina that came with $33 million guaranteed. Of course, Bridgewater was only there a year before getting traded to Denver.

“I said to (Ehlinger) the same thing I said to Teddy Bridgewater or any of these guys,” Payton said Thursday. “ ‘My job is to make you a lot of money here or somewhere else.’ ”

Of course, a successful developmental program can also benefit the team, too, if ever you have to dip deeper than you want into the quarterback depth chart.

“The position is so important,” Payton said. “If we called it the most important piece on a chess table — I don’t play chess, so I don’t know what it is. What is it? Queen?

“Then I’d like to have a bunch of queens.”

Buffalo Bills

says: Win Super Bowl, 7-1; Over-under win total, 11.5

Strengths: Quarterback Josh Allen is the reigning MVP, and his pass-catching options might be a tick better this year with wide receiver Josh Palmer added and another year of development for Keon Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid. The 1-2 rushing punch of running back James Cook and Allen might be the best in the AFC outside of Baltimore.

Weaknesses: The team in Kansas City is still a member of the AFC. Beyond that, after one aging star (Von Miller) didn’t provide much juice for the pass rush, the Bills are going to try another (Joey Bosa). They have other strong options up front, but the back seven can be vulnerable at times. Maybe yet another aging star (CB Tre’Davious White) can have a throwback year in his return.

Miami Dolphins

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl, 80-1; Over-under win total, 8.5

Strengths: The Dolphins have an impactful collection of skill position guys and Aurora native Mike McDaniel’s offense hums when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is healthy. The names on the outside, particularly with the addition of rookie defensive lineman Kenneth Grant inside, should produce more pressure and sacks for this defense.

Weaknesses: The phrase “when Tagovailoa is healthy” is doing a lot of work. The backup QB is either going to be former Bronco Zach Wilson or seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers out of Texas. Miami added future Hall of Fame safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, but subtracted future HOF cornerback Jalen Ramsey from a position that already looked thin behind him.

New England Patriots

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl, 80-1; Over-under win total, 8.5

Strengths: The Patriots were one of the big spenders this offseason, so there are definitely more quality NFL players on the roster. New England made a splashy addition at each level of the defense. There are other non-contending teams that would trade their quarterback for Drake Maye yesterday, and some that would like Mike Vrabel to coach for them as well.

Weaknesses: These guys might be a trendy pick to be much improved, but they had a lot of turnover this offseason. That doesn’t always work immediately. Also, the offense was terrible last year and the top offseason additions are a rookie offensive tackle and an aging wide receiver (Stefon Diggs) who tore an ACL in October.

New York Jets

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl, 200-1; Over-under win total, 6.5

Strengths: Cornerback Sauce Gardner and receiver Garrett Wilson are franchise building blocks. A couple of the club’s other recent high first-round picks could be as well. And … the front office doesn’t have to worry about what Aaron Rodgers says on The Pat McAfee Show anymore?

Weaknesses: Just about everything else, unless quarterback Justin Fields can prove he’s ready to take a big leap forward as Rodgers’ replacement. Expect there to be a lot of Arch Manning chatter in the Big Apple this football season, because both New York teams could be in the running for the top pick.

Sean Payton, however, would prefer to lose a good player because his team has more than it can keep rather than the alternative.

“There’re going to be a number of tough decisions, but I’d rather be in that position than the position we were in two years ago at this time,” he said after his reserves battered Arizona’s, 27-7, in the second of three preseason games. “I think the talent level has gradually gotten better.”

Preseason games don’t count outside of individual evaluation. They don’t give any meaningful insight into whether a team will start fast or slow, win its division or finish last.

But the preseason can give at least an idea about quality roster depth and it certainly appears Denver’s got just that.

NFL teams must cut their rosters from 90 to 53 by 2 p.m. on Aug. 26. Every year, much is made about players being sure bets to get claimed by other teams, and every year the number is lower than expected — often less than one per team. Payton thinks his team will be getting poached this summer rather than doing the poaching.

“These guys, they’re all competing,” he said. “And we say this to them — this is serious — we’re rooting for all of them. We’re rooting for their best.

“There’s going to be some players that end up on other teams’ rosters playing. That����ap part of the deal.”

With just more than a week to go, here’s another crack at projecting a 53-man group.

OFFENSE (25)

Quarterback (3): Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger

Biggest question: Two or three?

Nix is the unquestioned starter and Sitdham’s played terrific ball in the preseason after signing a two-year deal this spring. Ehlinger’s not as easy of a call to keep as Zach Wilson was a year ago, but the Broncos coaches really like him, and he’s got some craftiness to his game. He’s not a slam dunk, but he could be a nice developmental project and he played well against the Cardinals.

Running back (4): J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin

Biggest question: Where’s the cut line … and who’s on the wrong side of it?

Payton wasn’t any clearer about this tight race in the moments after Saturday night����ap game. McLaughlin had the biggest play of the night and Badie continues to be a solid performer who’s also probably Denver’s second-best pass protector after Dobbins. There’s still some ballgame left here, but at this point, it����ap hard to see Audric Estime or Blake Watson making the cut. Either would be a high-quality practice squad player, though a team that had a good grade on Estime out of the draft might be tempted to take a waiver wire flyer on him if he’s cut next week.

Fullback Mike Burton will be part of the equation, but it’d be easy to see him doing the same thing he did last year: Getting cut and signing to the practice squad on the premise that he’s elevated the first three weeks and then added to the 53-man when a spot opens.

Tight end (3): Evan Engram, Adam Trautman and Caleb Lohner

Biggest question: Does Lohner make the cut?

This might be one of the positions where the initial 53-man set doesn’t really represent the true pecking order. Nate Adkins is hurt and Payton said he’d miss the early part of the regular season. If he starts on injured reserve, do the Broncos keep another or try to get Lucas Krull, Caden Prieskorn or both onto the practice squad? Either of them might play over Lohner right now, but you don’t draft a raw ball of clay like the former Utah hooper if you don’t intend on doing what it takes to keep him in your program and develop him.

Wide receiver (6): Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, Devaughn Vele, Pat Bryant, Trent Sherfield Sr.

Biggest question: Is it as simple as it looks?

This group looks like a deep one, and it also looks settled. Sherfield’s in line for a sizable role, and the other five feel like locks. That leaves a host of guys who are interesting practice squad candidates or could catch other teams’ eyes. Saturday night against Arizona, it was Courtney Jackson’s turn to have a big night (105 all-purpose yards). Kyrese Rowan, Jerjuan Newton and Joaquin Davis have each had nice moments, too, but it����ap hard to find a spot on the 53-man for any of them.

Offensive line (9): Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Matt Peart, Alex Palczewski, Alex Forsyth and Frank Crum

Biggest question: Is there a surprise from the young guys in store?

If there were a 10th to make the team in this projection, it would have been Nick Gargiulo until he sustained a gruesome-looking leg injury against Arizona. Instead, we got with the same set that made the team out of camp last year. The five starters are set, Peart and Palczewski look like the primary backups for four of the five spots, and Forsyth has been the No. 2 center since Wattenberg won the job last summer. Crum is just too good an athlete to subject to the waiver wire, and he’s developed some over the past year. They should have their choice of Calvin Throckmorton and a bunch of young players for practice squad spots.

DEFENSE (25)

Defensive line (6): Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, John Franklin-Myers, Malcolm Roach, Sai’vion Jones, Jordan Jackson

Biggest question: Any chance the Broncos load up here?

Maybe the single-best roster battle going right now is Jackson against Eyioma Uwazurike for what looks like maybe one spot. Even taking six for an odd-front team is a substantial number, but this is a group that backs it up with talent. Both made the team last year, but Sai’vion Jones was a third-round pick whom the Broncos traded up for. He’s making the team even if he’s not in the rotation immediately. If you’re trying to keep the best football players no matter what, you might try to find a way to squeeze all seven onto the roster. Slight edge to Jackson’s versatility and pass-rush ability here. Even in a world where far fewer players get claimed on waivers than you’d think at the roster cutdown, it’d be a surprise if either guy made it back to the practice squad. Tough call, indeed.

Outside linebacker (5): Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss, Dondrea Tillman, Que Robinson

Biggest question: Not a question, just stay healthy.

This group’s pretty straightforward. Andrew Farmer and Garrett Nelson each look like potential practice squad guys who are worth keeping around, but outside of an injury situation, there’s no reason to tinker with the quintet above. The top four might be the best overall set in the NFL, and Robinson’s going to be a good special teams player right out of the gate if he’s active on game days. He’s got the length and pass-rush ability to work his way into the rotation by the end of the year or fill in if there’s an injury.

Inside linebacker (4): Alex Singleton, Dre Greenlaw, Levelle Bailey, Justin Strnad

Biggest question: Health, really.

Assuming Singleton and Greenlaw are ready to roll by Sept. 7, this group is in pretty good shape. But neither has played much so far in camp. Payton said he’s looking forward to seeing Greenlaw in padded action this week. Bailey’s had a solid camp, and Strnad’s a trusty veteran special teams player who can play on defense if needed. The Broncos like all three undrafted rookies — JB Brown, Karene Reid and Jordan Turner — but Turner’s come on strong and made several splash plays against the Cardinals. A practice squad candidate to remember. Garret Wallow’s played 35 NFL games and could be a practice squad candidate, too.

Cornerback (5): Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Jahdae Barron, Ja’Quan McMillian, Kris Abrams-Draine

Biggest question: Anybody else?

There may not be a better quintet in football. The question isn’t about nickel or dime packages — those competitions are among these five players. It����ap really about special teams and whether 2022 fourth-round pick Damarri Mathis (who carries a $3.6 million cap hit into the final year of his rookie deal) makes the squad. It’ll be a competition with players from other position groups. Neither Mathis nor any of the other young players are supplanting Abrams-Draine. If Reese Taylor (hamstring) gets healthy over the next 10 days, he could push for a spot because of his special teams work and ability to play inside and outside.

Safety (5): Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, P.J. Locke, JL Skinner, Sam Franklin

Biggest question: How does special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi see the pecking order?

Denver signed Sam Franklin to be a special teams ace and gave him $1.338 million guaranteed. That doesn’t put him in un-cuttable territory, but it speaks to what they think he brings to the table. Devon Key is probably the next man up after Hufanga, Jones and Locke in terms of defensive ability, but if they can get him to the practice squad, perhaps they’ll try. They could also keep Skinner and Key and bring Franklin back as a veteran practice squad player.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)

PK Wil Lutz, P Jeremy Crawshaw, LS Mitch Fraboni

Biggest question: How quickly can Crawshaw develop consistency?

The rookie sixth-round pick has big-time talent and can put the ball into orbit. But he’s struggled to hit the ball consistently, and he’s looked shaky in preseason outings so far. This is a team with Super Bowl aspirations. If Payton and the front office think the punter is at risk of costing them a game, they’ll consider their options.

Stock up

The Broncos’ quarterback room: Let’s start with the obvious. Jarrett Stidham’s preseason stats, after another night spent butchering another second-team defense, are Madden Career Mode-worthy. After two preseason games: 30 of 38, 376 yards, four touchdowns, no picks. He has scampered around pockets and unleashed shots from the hip like a QB2 who just got handed a two-year deal. Stidham had total freedom Saturday with Nix resting, and he played like it.

Don’t forget, too, about Sam Ehlinger, who was a quiet 14 of 16 and has been great the past couple of weeks. It’s not the ��DZ���-���Ƿ���camp Zach Wilson had last year, but it’s been enough to force Sean Payton and company to consider carrying three QBs again on the 53-man roster. Meanwhile, quarterbacks coach Davis Webb was handed the reins as a play-caller, and promptly executed a beautiful two-minute touchdown drive at the end of the first half. All-around top marks here.

Jordan Turner: ����apountry, meet Turner. Turner, meet ����apountry. The undrafted Michigan State rookie has had a sneaky-good camp amid a rash of inside linebacker injuries, and he led the Broncos in tackles (five) and sacks (1.5) Saturday. He burst for a sack on one play that didn’t even look like a designed blitz. There might not be space for Turner on the final roster, but the Broncos will want him on their practice squad.

Wide receiver blocking development: Troy Franklin caught two touchdowns, and yet his best play might’ve been when he chased down Arizona safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson early and knocked him off course from tackling Evan Engram. Engram promptly sprang free for 58 yards. On that same play, rookie Pat Bryant pile-drove an Arizona defensive back 5 yards deep into the sideline to give Engram some more sideline room. Payton loves receivers who can block. That’s a film-room gold star Sunday.

Caden Prieskorn: Well, the stock dropped here after Prieskorn got stripped of a would-be touchdown on the goal line. It was a gut-wrenching fumble at the worst possible time. But it shouldn’t erase the goodwill from a highly active day: Prieskorn caught three passes for 52 yards and showed notable flexibility as a fullback on some snaps. That’s a major feather in his cap with current TE/FB hybrid Nate Adkins sidelined, and could make him a sneaky 53-man roster fit.

Stock down

Audric Estime: No getting around it: Estime was the worst back on Denver’s roster Saturday. Payton said he thought both Estime and Blake Watson “did a good job with their opportunities,” but Estime showed a noticeable lack of burst on a few plays and finished with 20 yards on nine carries. He did spin out of a couple of tackles and wasn’t put in any kind of position to succeed with the Broncos’ third-team offensive line unable to create many lanes. But he was also last in line for RB snaps, a possibly damning indictment of his status.

Caleb Lohner: The seventh-round rookie showed why he’s a project Saturday. Lohner has yet to do much this preseason despite some reps and has racked up three penalties. The Broncos knew this would be coming, as Lohner played his first year of organized football since the eighth grade at Utah last year. He just may not be ready to contribute substantially in 2025.

Pre-snap IQ: How about eight pre-snap penalties for the Broncos? Full preseason form. This should be slightly concerning, though, as Denver’s offensive linemen and receivers alike have been flagged by referees all camp for neutral-zone infractions.

“The one area that has to be cleaned up are the penalties,” Payton said postgame.

There is only one preseason game left to cure this epidemic.

Social media fact-checking: Alternatively, stock up for a Twitter account by the name of @EpicNormie_. Alternatively, stock down for humanity’s faith in accurate news.

In the third quarter of Broncos-Cardinals, game broadcaster 9News aired a quote graphic of disgruntled Cowboys star rusher Micah Parsons that on his podcast. The problem? Parsons never actually said this. It was a fake post from @EpicNormie_.

“LMAO MY BAIT MADE IT TO TV,” .

The 28-year-old relief pitcher entered a game that appeared hopelessly lost. Yet, when all was said and done, he’d won. It was the story of his baseball career — told in two innings.

When the undrafted right-hander strolled to the mound at Coors Field to in the eighth inning on Aug. 1, few took much notice. The Rockies trailed the Pirates, 16-9. Many in the crowd of 36,030 had drifted off into the sweltering Friday night. But in the Rockies’ family section, a dozen fans lived and died with every pitch.

Darnell’s parents, Dan and Mary Lou, were there. So was his brother, Grady, and assorted aunts and uncles. When his fiancée, Emily Tatge, heard “Square Dance” blare through the speakers, she got goose bumps.

Darnell’s arduous journey from part-time Division III college pitcher to independent leaguer with the , to winter ball in Australia, to a desk job in finance had finally paid off. His investment in the weight room, on the mound, and networking on his laptop had all been worth it.

“He’d always told me, ‘I can’t wait to hear my walk-up song play at Coors Field,’ ” Tatge said. “So, to hear that song and see him take the mound was incredible. But you know what? I stayed relatively calm. I was confident of Dugan’s abilities.”

Darnell pitched a scoreless eighth, giving up a single before inducing a double-play grounder to end the inning. Colorado scored two runs in the bottom of the frame, trimming Pittsburgh’s lead to 16-12. Darnell pitched a one-two-three ninth, striking out Pirates shortstop Jared Triolo on three pitches for the final out. His first career K came on a 94.9 mph fastball that caught Trilolo looking.

“I had tunnel vision,” Darnell said. “I had been mentally preparing for the moment for a long time, so I told myself, ‘Control your emotions and do your job.’ It was my night, so I told myself, ‘Put your best stuff out there and see what happens.’ ”

What came next was like something out of “The Natural.”

The Rockies scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth, winning the game 17-16 on a two-run homer by center fielder Brenton Doyle, the first walk-off home run of his career. Doyle is Darnell’s best friend on the team. Doyle’s wife, Rose, is besties with Tatge. The two met at Double-A Hartford and formed a sisterly bond.

“When Brenton hit that walk-off homer, I turned around and gave Rose a gigantic hug,” Tatge recalled. “That moment was phenomenal. For Brenton to hit his first walk-off homer and for him to get Dugan his first career win by hitting that homer was incredible. It was insane.”

‘I had the stuff’

Word of Darnell’s debut victory reached Jon Weil quickly. Text messages lit up his phone. He got a little choked up.

A long-shot player that Weil believed in, but someone whom the Rockies never scouted in person, had made it.

“This is why some of us get into baseball, for moments like that, for what it means for the players, their families,” Weil said.

Weil now works for the Dodgers as a pro scout. Back in the winter of 2021, he was the Rockies’ assistant general manager of player personnel. Weil was used to fielding unsolicited emails and videos from hopeful young players trying to get their foot in the door.

“I would probably get five of those a month,” he recalled. “Guys would send videos, stats, and Trackman numbers, and data, and all kinds of stuff. I made it a practice, out of respect, to respond to each kid.”

Most of his responses were boilerplate: “Thank you for your inquiry, but our rosters are full at this time.”

“That’s true 999 times out of a thousand,” Weil said. “We had a practice of never signing a player unless a scout had seen them in person.”

But several things about Darnell struck a chord.

There was Darnell’s 0.39 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 23 innings as a third baseman and part-time reliever as a senior at He also had a 0.31 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings in 2020 with the independent Eastside Diamond Hoppers of the United Shore Professional Baseball League. Plus, Weil watched Darnell’s video.

“The video was just of a bullpen session, but I felt like his arm worked well and all of his pitches were coming out really well,” Weil said.

Then there was Darnell’s persistence. He sent emails, with a video, to all 30 major league clubs, often to five or six people in the organization. He realized it was a long shot, but he figured it was his only shot.

“I knew, deep down inside, that I could pitch in the majors, I had the stuff,” Darnell said. “I sent stuff to as many people as I could — emails, direct messages, LinkedIn. I was all in. I didn’t want to look back someday with any ‘what ifs.’ ”

Because Weil took time to respond, Darnell latched on to the Rockies. Multiple times, he asked Weil for an in-person tryout, but none were forthcoming. Still, Weil remained intrigued. He asked Ed Santa, the Rockies’ area scout whose territory includes Michigan, to check up on Darnell. Santa was friends with Craig Rainey, the longtime head coach at Adrian. Rainey raved about the pitcher and the person.

Ultimately, Weil went with his gut. He called Zach Wilson, the Rockies’ assistant general manager of player development at the time, into his office.

“Zach and I were in lockstep and we trusted each other,” Weil said. “I had him look at the video of Darnell. Zach said, ‘That looks pretty good.’

“I told Zach, ‘I just want to sign him, I want to bring him to camp. … If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.’ ”

Wilson gave Weil a green light. It was the first time he had ever signed a player without having a scout get an up-close look.

“It sounds pretty innocuous, like, no big deal,” Weil said. “But really, not having a scout see Darnell, not having a lot of data, and just kind of going off his stat line was unique. I was going off my gut instincts.”

On Feb. 5, 2021, Weil made one of the favorite phone calls of his career.

“I went all ‘American Idol’ on him,” Weil recalled. “I said, ‘Dugan, this is Jon Weil of the Colorado Rockies, and I’m sorry, but we don’t have any interest in you working out any more at all.’ ”

Taken aback, Darnell said,  “What do you mean by that?”

Weil, still playing it cool, responded, “We have no interest in working you out because we have interest in signing you. We would love to invite you to spring training.”

Darnell responded with tears and a promise: “I’m going to dominate hitters and I’m going to be a big leaguer, you just watch and wait.”

More than five years later, Darnell fulfilled that promise.

“Jon Weil means the world to me,” he said. “He opened up his heart and gave me a chance.”

‘He wanted this so badly’

Rockies interim manager Warren Schaffer played six seasons in the minors as an infielder, making it as high as Triple-A Colorado Springs. He managed eight seasons in the minors. He’s seen dreams rise and fall. He’s never seen anything quite like Darnell’s journey.

“All of the stuff he’s had to overcome? Always being the underdog? It’s amazing,” Schaeffer said. “This game is really hard. I know what it’s like to be a minor league player who’s not good enough. I got to the point where I said, ‘This is not for me, and I have to change directions.’

“But not Dugan. He worked his way through it, and it’s worked out.”

Of course, it’s not like Darnell didn’t have talent. He could always throw hard, but so can thousands of others. But through hard work and vision, he built himself into a major league pitcher. He trained at 2SP Sports Performance in Madison Heights, Mich., alongside former Rockies and Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu and Astros ace Hunter Brown.

“I was able to get to know those guys and learn and get better,” Darnell said.

From 2019, when he left Merrill College, to 2020, when he started playing independent ball for the Diamond Hoppers, his fastball velocity improved from 88-90 mph to 91-93, touching 95 on occasion. In addition to his 75-76 mph curveball, he added a slider and a splitter.

He now has an arsenal that the Rockies believe plays in the big leagues. Entering the weekend, Darnell had pitched in four games (five innings), posting a 3.60 ERA.

His transformation from a raw pitcher to major leaguer impressed LeMahieu.

“I was struck by what a hard worker he was, and his perseverance,” LeMahieu said. “There aren’t a ton of major leaguers up here in Michigan during the offseason, so it’s kind of a small group during the offseason. We get to know each other.

“From my point of view, he didn’t need a whole lot of help from me. He showed up every day ready to work, and then worked another job. So he was not somebody who needed a whole lot of pushing.”

The “other job” was a short stint as a recruitment consultant with Huxley Associates in Chicago. Darnell used his degree in marketing to land the gig in what he calls “the real world.” But baseball always beckoned.

His fiancée bursts with pride when she talks about the road he’s traveled.

“He knew he didn’t want to be at an office desk, doing office work,” Tatge said. “He wanted this so badly. He wanted to play baseball, and he’s done everything in his power to make this his career.”

The couple met at Northville High School in Michigan, but didn’t start dating seriously until after Tatge graduated from Michigan State. She’s been alongside for the long, winding road that took him from independent ball to Low-A Fresno to High-A Spokane to Double-A Hartford to Triple-A Albuquerque and, finally, to the Rockies.

“It wasn’t an easy road,” she said. “Persistence is such a perfect word to describe Dugan. And you have to have passion, too, to go through the five levels to get where he is today. And it’s even more if you count high school and college.”

Tatge was at home in Michigan, taking a nap on Thursday afternoon, when she got the news that he would be going to the majors and might debut the next night.

“Dugan usually doesn’t FaceTime me, we just talk on the phone,” she said. “So, when I saw the FaceTime come across my screen, I kind of knew. Deep inside, I said to myself, ‘This is it.’ He didn’t have to say anything. I cried, absolutely. So did he, and I don’t see him cry all that often.”

Darnell was never in “pinch-me mode” when he took the mound for his debut. He always believed he could make it to the top of the hill. He was reflective.

“There are so many people who helped me along the way and pushed me in the right direction,” he said. “My parents, Emily, so many others. I kind of looked at it like this: you take one step at a time and then you look up and you’re where you dreamed you’d be.”

The Road Taken

Rockies relief pitcher Dugan Darnell made his major league debut on Aug. 1 at Coors Field. Undrafted out of Division III Adrian College in Michigan, he followed an unusual path to the big leagues:

2019
• Adrian College: Posted a 3-1 record with a 0.39 ERA in 20 games. Also hit .314 with four homers, two triples, 12 doubles, and 43 RBIs while playing primarily third base.
• Rockford Rivets (Northwoods League): 2.65 ERA in seven games (17 innings).
• East Side Diamond Hoppers (United Shore League, independent): 1.76 ERA in seven games (15 1/3 innings).
• Gary SouthShore RailCats (American Association, independent): 3.00 ERA in three games (5.0 innings).

2020
• Gary SouthShore RailCats: 0.31 ERA in 22 games (28 2/3 innings)

2021
• Low-A Fresno: 0.66 ERA in eight games (13 2/3 innings).
• High-A Spokane: 2.38 ERA in 36 games (41 2/3 innings).

2022
• Double-A Hartford: 5.29 ERA in 38 games (47 2/3 innings).
• Canberra Cavalry (Australian Baseball League): 2.41 ERA in 15 games (18 2/3 innings).

2023
• Double-A Hartford: 1.55 ERA in 22 games (29 innings).
• Triple-A Albuquerque: 6.04 ERA in 18 games (29 1/3 innings).

2024
• Double-A Hartford: 0.00 ERA in three games (4.0 innings).
• Triple-A Albuquerque: 5.58 ERA in 40 games (40 1/3 innings).

2025
• Triple-A Albuquerque: 3.52 ERA in 35 games (53 2/3 innings).

Source: Baseball Reference

Did not practice: Physically Unable to Perform list — WR A.T. Perry (foot/ankle). Out — ILB Alex Singleton (thumb), ILB Drew Sanders (foot), ILB Dre Greenlaw (quad), OLB Que Robinson (knee), FB Michael Burton (unknown).

Camp-goers in Dove Valley got a neat little surprise when Singleton trotted out of the locker room Saturday morning alongside new moneyman Zach Allen, the injured linebacker dressed in pads just a few days after breaking his thumb. He didn’t practice during team period, but Payton made clear he’ll be back soon. It’s likely, then, that the Broncos have their starting ILB duo back for next week’s joint practice with San Francisco.

“If we had a playoff game tomorrow, he’d have a club on and be playing,” Payton said of Singleton.

Burton was present Saturday, but not dressed in pads.

Newcomer impact

How about Uncle Sam? A few days after Denver’s third-string QB appeared in a less-savory light in this space, Sam Ehlinger put together the best reps of any Broncos quarterback in quasi-scrimmage periods Saturday. Yes, it was against Bronco reserves. But he made some throws that’d play against most any coverage.

In the second team period of the day, Ehlinger chucked a well-placed bomb to undrafted rookie Jerjuan Newton, who made a terrific reaching grab while tumbling to the turf. A play later, Ehlinger stepped up and fired an over-the-shoulder dart into tight coverage for Courtney Jackson. His pocket mobility was excellent, too, befitting a guy who once ran for 16 touchdowns his sophomore season at Texas.

Ehlinger might have long odds to crack Denver’s 53-man roster after signing a one-year deal this offseason to compete for a roster spot. But he’s steadily fed his way into the Broncos’ locker room: , and former Texas teammates with Brandon Jones, P.J. Locke and Jahdae Barron.

“He was a good mentor for me, good leader, good big brother to me,” Barron said, back in rookie minicamp.

Ehlinger has largely struggled with deep-ball accuracy throughout camp, but if he keeps flashing that kind of arm talent this preseason, he could force a Zach Wilson-type roster decision from Denver.

Top Plays

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has Bo Nix’s back all the way through. Doesn’t mean he won’t get after him.

After picking Nix off on a roll to his right Friday, Pat Surtain II stepped in front of another off-target Nix toss for his second pick of training camp Saturday. Banner start to his DPOY follow-up campaign.

“I think, you become DPOY and you’re in his echelon, then there’s that, not pressure, but there’s that added expectation as to, ‘This is the club I’m in,'” Payton said. “‘And it����ap a difficult club, and this is what everyone expects.’”

Thumbs Up

It’s been a spotty couple of days for Nix, particularly in off-platform accuracy and decision-making. Two interceptions yesterday. One Saturday. But a period after his wayward throw ended up in Surtain’s paws, Nix tested him again in the red zone, fearless.

On the final play of a goal-line sequence, Nix chucked up a fade to Courtland Sutton, who was matched up one-on-one with the best corner in the game. Hazardous for any quarterback. But Nix found a high enough pocket that only the 6-foot-4 Sutton could reach, and the Broncos’ top wideout crashed down with a score.

Thumbs Down

Denver’s reserve offensive line largely cleaned up its play after some ghastly Friday reps, with much less yellow laundry Saturday. But third-string center Joe Michalski struggled amid a tough day in his quest for a roster spot. Michalski, an undrafted free agent who was productive at Oklahoma State, fired off a couple of tough snaps and a couple more that flat-out soared over Ehlinger’s head.

Odds and Ends

• Riley Moss said this week he worked this offseason on improving on “not getting pushed off” on 50-50 balls. It’s been readily apparent this camp, as no member of Denver’s secondary outside Surtain has put together more impressive tape.

Moss hasn’t gotten beaten on nearly any deep or sideline routes. On Saturday, he blanketed Marvin Mims Jr. on a couple of balls and warded off another target to Pat Bryant. Denver’s No. 2 corner was solid when healthy last year and looks poised to take another step in 2025.

“I’m going to be on an island, and what can I do?” Moss responded when asked about facing targets opposite Surtain. “That����ap what I think makes this game so beautiful, and why I love the position that I’m in.”

• Edge Jonathon Cooper didn’t participate much in team activities Saturday. Payton has previously emphasized that a number of veterans are on load-management plans throughout training camp, so it’s possible Cooper simply received a lighter workload.

• Second-year back Audric Estime got a heap of carries in red-zone and goal-line work. That might be Estime’s clearest path to a roster spot, with the type of power-back build that could thrive in short yardage. He’s also flashed out of the backfield on screens throughout camp, with hints of receiving upside.

• Whether intentional or not, Payton dunked slightly on the Raiders in discussing Allen’s extension. He was a player, Payton pointed out, who made coaches say, “If they didn’t pay �󾱳�,��who would they pay?” And the head coach likened that, out of the blue, to the Raiders’ .

“I’m going back now to when he was younger — production,” Payton said, “and what’s difficult for a team to understand is, when a player like that leaves, then you’re like, ‘What are we looking for?'”