MISSION: POSSIBLE
THE BRONCOS’ MISSION — SHOULD THEY CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT — IS TO WIN IN THE NFL PLAYOFFS BEHIND BO NIX’S LEAD
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: AGING AFC WEST COACHES OUT TO PROVE OLD GUYS RULE
Mission: Aging coaches out to prove old guys rule
MARK KISZLA
mark.kiszla@gazette.com
Andy Reid, Sean Payton, Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh are building their own wing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, one victory at a time.
With 747 regular-season and playoff “Ws” to their names, the distinguished coaches of the AFC West keep on stacking their legacies with pure gold bricks.
At an average age of 65.5 years, they’re the sunshine boys of NFL coaching, stubbornly refusing to fade into the sunset.
“I’m the youngest!” Payton reminded us all earlier this year.
Indeed he is. Payton was born six whopping days later than Harbaugh during the final week of 1963, when gas was 31 cents per gallon and Frankie Valli ruled the pop charts.
Reid, who leads this fab four with 301 NFL victories and three Super Bowl rings, sits confidently atop the throne of Chiefs Kingdom at age 67.
And when Carroll, who celebrates his 74th birthday in September, hits the sideline with the Las Vegas Raiders, he will officially become the oldest head coach in NFL history.
“I got to get my act together,” said Carroll, who came out of retirement in January to wrestle with coaching legends he deeply respects. “I got to play up to those guys.”
The West will be won by an old cowboy that you best not try to mess with.
In 66 combined years of service as a head coach in the NFL, they have suffered a grand total of 12 losing seasons in a parity-driven league.
What has allowed Reid, Payton, Carroll and Harbaugh to do far more than survive well past most coaches’ expiration date in the Not For Long, but consistently thrive?
Well, they are as distinctly different as their personalities.
As comfy as an overstuffed couch, Reid epitomizes the Ted Lasso motto of “Be curious, not judgmental.”
Payton is a my-way-or-the-highway curmudgeon from the old school of Bill Parcells.
Carroll bounces through life like the Energizer Bunny on a hugging binge.
And Harbaugh is Mr. Khaki Pants, who wants to beat the britches off everybody.
But there is one big commonality that serves these very unique guys extremely well. Reid, Payton, Caroll and Harbaugh are all comfortable in their own skin and remarkably consistent in who they are.
Those are qualities not to be underestimated, especially in pro football, where second-guessing a coach is a sport unto itself.
What’s more important, players will quickly tune out or turn on a coach who fails to strike a consistent tone in victory or defeat.
“Either you have a philosophy or you don’t. If you change it from year to year, you don’t have one,” Carroll told Eric Williams of Fox Sports in 2023, explaining a coaching tenet he learned decades earlier from a savvy mentor named Monte Kiffin.
As a guiding principle, it’s far easier said than done.
But when faced with adversity that ignites white-hot takes on social me-
dia, a coach who doesn’t firmly know himself will get burnt.
This stubborn sense of self-reliance, however, does not mean stuck in your ways.
During an episode earlier this year of Storytime with Sean, when Payton waxes poetic about his journey from a quarterback at Eastern Illinois in the mid-1980s to becoming the king of New Orleans by leading the Saints to their lone NFL championship in 2010, he emphasized the motivational power in constantly striving to find more efficient ways to do everything from calling plays to developing the football IQ of young players.
It’s this endless curiosity that keeps these aging coaches young and engaged.
The imagination of Reid, whose beautiful football mind becomes touchdowns in the talented hands of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, can be found on ideas he has scribbled for years on index cards.
Index cards? Really? Didn’t they disappear into a dusty corner of the attic about the same time as the Rolodex and VCR?
As legend has it, Reid carries index
cards with him everywhere, from the front seat of his car to the table at a restaurant to the night stand next to his bed, just in case an idea for a crazy trick play or a beautiful alignment disguise hits him in the middle of the night.
So when the Chiefs found and exploited a flaw in Denver’s blocking scheme to swat away a chip-shot field goal by Wil Lutz in the final second of the fourth quarter to thwart the Broncos’ upset bid and preserve a 16-14 K.C. victory, maybe that piece of dumb luck was really 90% preparation.
At an age when many successful guys would rather go fishing or take a nap on the couch, Payton, Carroll, Reid and Harbaugh remain obsessed with a 24/7 passion that is football.
“The AFC West is tough,” Reid told Chiefs reporters prior to training camp, “and it’s not getting any worse.” Pro football is a young man’s game. No need to remind Payton, Reid, Carroll and Harbaugh.
They know all too well the Darwinian nature of the NFL.
Evolve. Or perish.
But that only makes it more remarkable how these old guys rule.
THE ASSOCiATEd prESS
Chiefs head coach Andy reid and broncos head coach Sean payton talk following the game in Kansas City, mo., on Nov. 10. The Chiefs won 16-14.
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: CONVINCING BRONCOS COUNTRY TO HELP PAY FOR NEXT MILE HIGH? BETTER WIN
Mission: Convincing fans to help pay for next Mile High?
PAUL KLEE
paul.klee@gazette.com
If Empower Field at Mile High was the house that John built, the next Mile High can be the palace that Bo built.
No pressure, No. 10.
Here’s an educated hunch the next Mile High Stadium will come with a price tag of $2.5 billion-$3 billion, give or take a couple million from under the Walton-Penner family couch cushions. So what’s the easiest way to sell a Personal Seat License to a proud member of Broncos Country?
Pair it with a side of winning.
That’s where Bo Nix comes in, similar to John Elway’s wild success that helped lead to the construction of Empower Field at Mile High in the olden days of Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII. And the latter was a contentious pitch.
What’s a PSL? It’s a one-time fee that allows a season-ticket holder to purchase a seat at the stadium. And considering their popularity (with teams, not fans), they are all but certain to be part of the Broncos’ stadium plans. The Raiders sold PSLs to help fund the construction of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Same for the Atlanta Falcons with Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Minnesota Vikings with U.S. Bank Stadium, a favorite visit of the Broncos’ ownership group.
The Bills and Commanders are building new sports ball cathedrals with the aid of PSL sales, an easier sell when Josh Allen and Jayden Daniels are 20-something megastars and NFL MVP winners or candidates at quarterback.
If the Broncos choose to not utilize PSLs, it would be the upset of the stadium arms race.
Same for Broncos fans embracing a new fee with open arms — unless the beloved is winning.
Can Nix elevate to the status of Allen, Daniels, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson as a must-see quarterback in the AFC? Time will tell. But what has been most impressive about the 25-year-
a
old Nix is the cool, calm manner with which he’s shouldered a heavy load as Colorado’s aspiring quarterback. His maturity in the role is no joke.
Between Nix and star cornerback Pat Surtain II, the Broncos have a pair of pillars who can ball out. They also can stroll into a Denver high school auditorium as trustworthy role models.
Next comes the winning. And while a 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the wild card round last January quenched a painful playoff drought, simply reaching the postseason does not qualify in Denver as winning.
Since 1980, only the Patriots, 49ers and Giants own more Super Bowl titles than Denver’s three.
While Sean Payton’s Super Bowl talk is premature, an effort to galvanize belief in the locker room, this season will be a success if the Broncos win a playoff game for the first time since 2015.
To close the gap in the AFC West with the Chiefs, the Broncos have plopped down a $260 million bet on themselves. No team returns more players from their 2024 roster than the Broncos, who brought back 86% of the players who finished third in their own division.
The Broncos’ 53-man roster includes 39 players who appeared on the initial 2024 roster.
Can you tell the lay-down-the-law firm of Payton and Paton like their guys a little bit?
“We feel like we have a franchise quarterback. We like the weapons we have on offense. And we play really good defense,” said George Paton, the general manager whose roster turnaround will depend on good health.
“That’s a recipe to win a lot of games.”
The Broncos not only returned the bulk of the roster for another run at the Chiefs. They’ve wagered the core is in place for several seasons after this one, handing out long-term extensions to Surtain, Quinn Meinerz, Garett Bolles, Jonathon Cooper, Courtland Sutton and Zach Allen that total over $300 million in guaranteed money. Expect a bag for Nik Bonitto, too.
Money talks. How the Broncos have spent theirs says they believe this group can win big — and help convince Broncos Country to fork over PSL costs for a new orange-and-blue palace.
Winning Super Bowls doesn’t come cheap.
Neither do football stadiums.
NEW DIGS
The newest NFL stadiums — and their reported costs:
2020: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) — $1.9 billion
2020: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.) — $5.5 billion
2017: Mercedez-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) — $1.6 billion
2016: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis) — $1.06 billion
2014: Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, Calif.) — $1.3 billion
2010: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.) — $1.6 billion
2009: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) — $1.3 billion
2008: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis) — $720 million
2006: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Ariz.) — $455 million
2003: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) — $512 million
2002: Ford Field (Detroit) — $500 million
Note: Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High opened in 2001 ($400.7 million)
JeriLee beNNett, tHe GaZette
skydiver drops into empower Field at mile High before a preseason game aug. 16.
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: ENTERING YEAR 2, BO NIX MUST PROVE HE’S THE QUARTERBACK TO SAVE COLORADO’S DAY
Best lead actor
Entering Year 2, Bo Nix must prove he’s the quarterback to save Colorado’s day
BY CHRIS TOMASSON christomasson@gazette.com
When the Broncos faced San Francisco in a joint prac tice last month, there were a trio of Super Bowl-win ning coaches who watched.
There, of course, was Denver coach Sean Payton, who won a ring with New Orleans in the 2009 season. Stand ing between the two fields on that Aug. 7 morning in Santa Clara, Calif., was Mike Shanahan, who won Super Bowls with the Broncos in the 1997 and 1998 seasons and is the son of 49ers coach Kyle Shananan. And watching the practice on video later on was Gary Kubiak, who won a Super Bowl with Denver in the 2015 season and is the son of 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak.
Shanahan and Kubiak both spent plenty of time looking at second-year Broncos quarter back Bo Nix.
“I just wanted to see what type of athlete he was by the way he played,’’ said Shanahan, Den ver’s head coach from 1995-2008. “I could see very quickly his arm strength. … You could see he’s very comfortable throwing off balance and making big throws down the field.”
Kubiak played quarterback for the Broncos from 1983-91. He later was Denver’s head coach from 2015-16.
“The young man was very impressive,’’ Kubiak said about Nix in the joint practice. “He’s extremely well coached. … There’s some things that as a quarterback are really hard to teach and that’s composure and the big one is accuracy. And when I watch him, he domi nates in those phases.”
Shanahan last season saw several Broncos games in person and watched others on television at his home in the Denver area. Kubiak watches Broncos games regularly from his ranch in Plantersville, Texas. Judging from what they saw last season and then in the joint practice, both see improvement in Nix from when he threw for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns with 12 interceptions as a rookie after being the No. 12 pick in the draft out of Oregon.
“I think any time you learn an offensive system, it takes time,’’ Shanahan said. “What he was able to do in his first year was really quite remarkable be cause he came with a lot of pressure on him with out a lot of depth on the football team. And now you can see that he’s got a much better support ing cast on both sides of the ball. … He’s a really impressive person. I just like the way he handles himself both on and off the field and you can see
he’s a natural team leader. You can see that the players look at him as a leader. And he processes things very quickly.”
Kubiak said Nix is operating faster than as a rookie.
“I’m a big advocate when I watch offensive football in tempo,’’ Kubiak said. “How fast you huddle, how fast you operate. And just watching him operate, that really stands out. When you watch all these great quarterbacks, there is no standing around.”
Shanahan and Kubiak know plenty about great quarterbacks. Kubiak was a backup on the Broncos to John Elway and Elway later won Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII under Shanahan. Then Kubiak won Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning behind center.
Now Payton, who had Drew Brees as his quarterback when he won his Super Bowl XLIV, has talked openly about a belief that the Broncos have what it takes this season to make a run at winning it all. And that obviously includes their quarterback.
“Sean’s been doing it a very long time, so he knows when he’s got a group that’s very capable (on winning a Super Bowl), but he also understands how darn hard the NFL is,’’ Kubiak said. Throw in that they have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and Shanahan has no issues with Payton’s touting of the Broncos.
“They’ve got a chance to win the big one, and that’s what their goal is,’’ Shanahan said.
Broncos brass has been talking big about Nix. General manager George Paton recently said, “We feel like we have a franchise quarterback.” Payton recently told Yahoo Sports that Nix has the ability “to be one of the top four or five quarterbacks in the league the next two years.”
Nix seems comfortable with such praise.
“If he believes that, and I know I have a lot of work to do to get there, I don’t want to let that word void,’’ Nix said of Payton’s projection.
“I want to give it my best shot at going out there and doing that. … We talk about Super Bowls, talk about winning culture, that helps a lot in being the best that I can be.”
Come Sunday’s opener against Tennessee at Empower Field at Mile High, Nix can start trying to live
“We’re excited to start the season and get to Week 1 and see what happens,’’ he said. “(I’m) very ready, very excited.’’
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: ENTERING YEAR 2, BO NIX MUST PROVE HE’S THE QUARTERBACK TO SAVE COLORADO’S DAY
NIX
FROM PAGE 4
Nix certainly has come a long way since last year’s opener at Seattle. In a 26-20 loss, he completed 26 of 42 passes for just 138 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions and had what would be a season-low passer rating of 47.5.
But Nix continued to improve as the season went along. His first win as a starter came in 26-7 wipeout at Tampa Bay in Week 3, when he threw for 216 yards although he didn’t have a touchdown pass. By Week 11, he threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns in a resounding 38-6 win over Atlanta.
True it was against Kansas City reserves. But Nix saved his best for
2024 AP OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR VOTING
1. QB Jayden Daniels, Commanders: 485 points
2. TE Brock Bowers, Raiders: 209
3. QB Bo Nix, Broncos: 151
4. WR Brian Thomas, Jaguars: 81
5. WR Malik Nabers, Giants: 51
Week 18, when he completed 26 of 29 passes for a career-high 321 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-0 victory that clinched Denver’s first playoff berth since 2015.
Now there is plenty of talk about how much Nix has improved over the past year.
“He’s out of the huddle a little quicker with the call, maybe he understands the nuances of the play, and has seen the cut ups of it all year and is a lit-
6. RB Bucky Irving, Buccaneers: 31
7. OT Joe Alt, Chargers: 8
8. QB Drake Maye, Patriots: 6
9. WR Ladd McConkey, Chargers: 5
10. QB Caleb Williams, Bears: 2
tle bit more comfortable with the same play from a year ago,’’ Payton said.
Wide receiver Troy Franklin is entering his fourth straight season as Nix’s teammate, having played with him at Oregon from 2022-23 before also coming to Denver.
“I see him as just a more confident guy,’’ Franklin said the difference between Nix in his first and second Broncos season. “He’s talking to all his guys, making sure we know everything and
giving us reminders that the ball’s ours when it’s in the air for the receivers.”
Arizona defensive end Calais Campbell, a Denver native and 18-year NFL veteran who grew up a huge Broncos fan and still keeps tabs on the team, spoke of Nix’s continued improvement after the Cardinals faced Denver in an Aug. 14 joint practice at Broncos Park.
“He has what it takes,’’ Campbell said. “He’s poised, made quick decisions. He didn’t hold the ball long at all. I feel like he understands every situation.”
Against the Cardinals, Nix had perhaps his best day of training camp. He threw the ball all over the field to a multitude of receivers.
Of course, Denver’s joint practice the previous week against the 49ers wasn’t too shabby either. A pair of Broncos Super Bowl-winning coaches sure liked what they saw that day.
tHe aSSOCiated preSS broncos head coach Sean payton, center, quarterback bo Nix, right, and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, far right, look on as players take part in drills during a June 5 practice in englewood.
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: POSSIBLE
A decade after ‘No Fly Zone,’ Broncos have another deep, talented secondary
BY CHRIS TOMASSON chris.tomasson@gazette.com
Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II would like to offer a challenge to opposing NFL quarterbacks.
“Pick your poison,’’ he said. Surtain is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and now he has the best supporting cast of his five-year pro career.
Quite simply, the Broncos are loaded in the secondary. Former Broncos tackle and team preseason television analyst Ryan Harris calls it the best one in the NFL.
The Broncos last season had some problems in the secondary, usually due to injuries. When starting cornerback Riley Moss missed three late-season games with a knee injury and then returned when he wasn’t fully healed, there were issues. And P.J. Locke had back problems during the season, and ended up being ranked No. 90 by Pro Football Focus out of 98 NFL safeties.
But Moss, entering his third NFL season and second as starter, is now fully healthy and looked very good in training camp and the preseason. And while Locke had offseason spinal fusion surgery and is doing much better, he has been replaced in the starting lineup by free-agent signee Talanoa Hufanga, a 2022 first-team All-Pro selection with San Francisco. He will team in the back end with Brandon Jones, rated the NFL’s No. 3 safety last season by Pro Football Focus.
The Broncos used their first-round draft pick in April to select Jahdae Barron, a versatile cornerback from Texas. While he might not beat out incumbent Ja’Quan McMillian to be the primary nickel back for when the season opens Sunday against Tennessee at Empower Field at Mile High, he at least will provide additional depth, including in dime situations.
“I believe that we have the talent to be,’’ Surtain said of being the NFL’s top secondary. “We’ve got talent from all areas, from the safeties to the corners to the nickel position. It’s no drop off, so when you’re able to accumulate a roster like that with so much depth, I mean, it’s like pick your poison because
ASSOCiATEd prESS FiLE
2015 BRONCOS ‘D’ VS. 2024 BRONCOS ‘D’
SACKS
• 2015: 52 (No. 1)
• 2024: 63 (No. 1)
INTERCEPTIONS
• 2015: 14 (No. 13)
• 2024: 15 (No. 9)
TURNOVERS FORCED
• 2015: 27 (No. 7)
whatever we throw out there it’s going to be tough going for opposing offenses.”
Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin knows all about that. He lines up against Denver’s defensive backs regularly in practice.
“It’s one of the best secondaries (in the NFL),’’ Franklin said. “We’re going against them every day, so when we go out there against somebody else, it’s pretty easy.”
The Broncos have been adding to
• 2024: 23 (No. 8)
POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME
• 2015: 18.5 (No. 4)
• 2024: 18.3 (No. 3)
YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME
• 2015: 283.1 (No. 1)
• 2024: 317.1 (No. 7)
their secondary each year this decade. Locke played in his first Denver game in 2020, Surtain in 2021, McMillian in 2022, Moss in 2023, Jones in 2024, and now Hufanga and Barron have joined the group.
“I’ve never been a part of a secondary this deep,’’ said Jones, who played his first four seasons with Miami before signing with the Broncos in March 2024.
With that in mind, comparisons are being made between the Broncos’ 2025
secondary to the 2015 “No Fly Zone” gang. That Denver team had tremendous depth in the secondary with the starters being Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. at cornerback, T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart at safety and cornerback Bradley Roby and safety David Bruton also getting plenty of snaps.
“That’s not fair for me to compare teams and stuff like that, but I am looking forward to watching them (this season),’’ Gary Kubiak, head coach of the 2015 Broncos, said when asked by The Denver Gazette to compare the two secondaries.
Those Broncos won Super Bowl 50 that season. So perhaps it is premature to make a comparison.
“Well, right now they have the talent,’’ said Nick Ferguson, a Broncos defensive back from 2003-07 and a Denver broadcaster who followed the 2015 team closely. “But I’ll just say that we have to see them actually play together, and the one thing about that 2015 secondary is they made a lot of plays. In 2015, the ‘No Fly Zone,’ any time the team needed a play in the clutch, who came up with it? It was the secondary.” It must be said, though, that the 2015 secondary did not have a reigning Defensive Player of the Year. And after being handed the trophy last February, Surtain has been talking about being even better this season.
“PS2 is a shutdown corner,’’ said Hall of Fame safety Steve Atwater, who played for the Broncos from 1989-98 and is now their fan engagement manager.
Now, Atwater is excited to see the Broncos having “two great additions” in Hufanga and Barron. He called Hufanga a “great leadership guy” and said Barron provides important depth because injuries can happen and the Broncos at times will use four cornerbacks at once.
“There are not too many teams in the NFL that have three good corners, so the Broncos now, when you throw Ja’Quan and Jahdae in there, you got four,’’ Ferguson said.
Throw in the Broncos’ versatile safeties and foes indeed will have to pick their poison.
The broncos’ Chris Harris, left, and Aqib Talib walk off the field after a loss to the Falcons on Oct. 9, 2016, in denver.
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: WIN AFC WEST TO EARN FIRST PLAYOFF HOME GAME SINCE 2015 SEASON
2025 Broncos schedule with game-by-game predictions
BY EVAN RAWAL evan.rawal@gazette.com
Breaking down the Broncos’ 2025 schedule:
Week 1: Tennessee Titans at Broncos
Sunday, 2:05 p.m. (Fox)
Cam Ward will be welcomed to the NFL by the best defense in the league in a rowdy environment. Best of luck to the young man, who should have a very nice career, but opening day might be a rough one for him.
The pick: Broncos 28, Titans 6 (Record 1-0)
Week 2: Broncos at Indianapolis Colts
Sunday, Sept. 14, 2:05 p.m. (CBS)
It shouldn’t matter if it’s Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones starting for the Colts. Denver’s defense can take care of either.
The pick: Broncos 24, Colts 9 (Record 2-0)
Week 3: Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers
Sunday, Sept. 21, 2:05 p.m. (CBS)
Last season, the road team won each game in this series. This season, that will flip.
The pick: Chargers 21, Broncos 17 (Record 2-1)
Week 4: Cincinnati Bengals at Broncos
Monday, Sept. 29, 6:15 p.m. (ABC)
Slowing down Joe Burrow is difficult for any defense, but if you’re going to play the Bengals, you usually want to do it at the start of the season. Cincinnati is just 2-5 in September over the last two seasons.
The pick: Broncos 31, Bengals 24 (Record 3-1)
Week 5: Broncos at Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, Oct. 5, 11:00 a.m. (CBS)
The fifth-best rush offense (and Saquon Barkley) from last season faces off against the second-best rush defense. An unstoppable force meets an immovable object.
The pick: Eagles 20, Broncos 14 (Record 3-2)
Week 6: Broncos at New York Jets (in London)
Sunday, Oct. 12, 7:30 a.m. (NFL Network)
London was kind to the Broncos in 2022. It will be again in 2025.
The pick: Broncos 24, Jets 10 (Record 4-2)
TimOTHy HUrST, THE GAZETTE FiLE
Cincinnati bengals quarterback Joe burrow (9) throws during a game against the denver broncos on Sunday, dec. 19, 2021, at Empower Field at mile High in denver.
Week 7: New York Giants at Broncos
Sunday, Oct. 19, 2:05 p.m. (CBS)
Another matchup against old pal Russell Wilson, although he might not be starting by Week 7. This begins a stretch where the Broncos leave home for just a few days over a 45-day span.
The pick: Broncos 31, Giants 10 (Record 5-2)
Week 8: Dallas Cowboys at Broncos
Sunday, Oct. 26, 2:25 p.m. (CBS)
While the Broncos have been quietly taking care of their own with some big extensions during training camp, Jerry Jones is doing his best to push star player Micah Parsons out the door. No wonder Sean Payton values stable, drama-free ownership.
The pick: Broncos 28, Cowboys 21 (Record 6-2)
Week 9: Broncos at Houston Texans
Sunday, Nov. 2, 11:00 a.m. (Fox)
If the sophomore season for Bo Nix
looks similar to C.J. Stroud’s sophomore year, would that be such a bad thing? It’s hard to play quarterback in the NFL, after all.
The pick: Texans 27, Broncos 24 (Record: 6-3)
Week 10: Las Vegas Raiders at Broncos
Thursday, Nov. 6, 6:15 p.m. (Prime Video)
It could be easy for the Broncos to look ahead one week to the matchup with the Chiefs, but Payton won’t allow that. Beating the Raiders at home must become a habit.
The pick: Broncos 17, Raiders 14 (Record 7-3)
Week 11: Kansas City Chiefs at Broncos
Sunday, Nov. 16, 2:25 p.m. (CBS)
Something has to give when Payton has 10 days and Andy Reid has 14 to prepare for this juggernaut matchup.
The pick: Chiefs 20, Broncos 17 (Record: 7-4)
Week 12: Bye Week
Week 13: Broncos at Washington Commanders
Sunday, Nov. 30, 6:20 p.m. (NBC) Nix vs. Jayden Daniels in primetime. Some games like this doesn’t live up to the hype, but with both teams rested and coming off their bye weeks, this one will.
Broncos 28, Commanders 27 (Record: 8-4)
Week 14: Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2:05 p.m. (CBS)
The AFC West is going to be a gantlet and the Raiders should be better with a real head coach and a playmaker in running back Ashton Jeanty.
The pick: Broncos 24, Raiders 14 (Record: 9-4)
Week 15: Green Bay Packers at Broncos
Sunday, Dec. 14, 2:25 p.m. (CBS) Is there a team that drafts better than the Packers? They’re young, talented and will cause the Broncos problems in the middle of December.
The pick: Packers 21, Broncos 17 (Record: 9-5)
Week 16: Jacksonville Jaguars at Broncos
Sunday, Dec. 21, 2:05 p.m. (Fox) Travis Hunter can do pretty much anything, but he can’t play all 11 positions at once .... unless cloning is perfected between now and December.
The pick: Broncos 31, Jaguars 13 (Record 10-5)
Week 17: Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
Thursday, Dec. 25, 6:15 p.m. (Prime Video)
A blocked kick stood between the Broncos and a victory at Arrowhead in 2024. With the division on the line, they won’t let it come down to a final-seconds snap. Santa brings Broncos fans everywhere one last Christmas gift before heading to the North Pole for another 364 days.
The pick: Broncos 20, Chiefs 14 (Record 11-5)
Week 18: Los Angeles Chargers at Broncos TBD
This game may or may not matter all that much. But considering it’s the Chargers, it’s a safe bet half their team will be on injured reserve.
The pick: Broncos 27, Chargers 13 (Record 12-5)
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
Here’s why this coach named his son after Courtland Sutton
BY PAUL KLEE paul.klee@gazette.com
When Justin Stepp was the wide receivers coach at SMU, he’d often have NFL scouts asking about Courtland Sutton, a prototype prospect at 6-foot3, 220 pounds.
And sometimes they’d want the dirt on Sutton.
Coach Stepp’s answer: “Well, I named my son after him, so he’s probably not an (expletive).”
His son is 7 years old now, and Courtland Stepp is the biggest Courtland Sutton fan east of Colorado.
That’s the case when you’re named after an NFL wide receiver — and, as Justin Stepp put it, “one of the best human beings our family’s been lucky enough to know; as good as it gets.”
These days it’s Coach Stepp who is the Broncos fan. He’s already tripped to Broncos Park to sit in on meetings with two of his former players in the Broncos wide receivers room: Sutton, the veteran, and Pat Bryant, a rookie. Stepp coached Sutton at SMU from 2015-17 and coached Bryant at Illinois in 2024.
His first piece of advice for the rookie?
“Do everything Courtland does,” Stepp says.
What’s one best-case scenario for the Broncos in 2025? The 22-year-old Bryant shows he has the skills to become a No. 1 wide receiver, eventually supplanting Sutton, 29, in that role.
Emphasis on eventually.
It was that way for Sutton, who entered the Broncos locker room when the late, great Demaryius Thomas was still the unquestioned leader of the wide receivers. “DT” never met a teaching moment he didn’t like and would escort “Court” on trips to the Broncos Boys & Girls Club to emphasize the import of building community.
“I learned so much from DT in a short time,” Sutton told The Denver Gazette.
Now it’s Sutton’s turn to help along the young wideouts charged with elevating the passing game and helping the franchise to back-to-back postseasons for the first time since 2014-15.
Sutton’s in his eighth season with the Broncos. He turns 30 in October. The four men expected to round out the receiving corps have an average age of 22.3 and none have played more than two years in the NFL. Marvin Mims Jr. is 23, Troy Franklin 22, Bryant 22.
Sutton’s career stats: 379 catches for 5,340 yards. The three young fellas’ ca-
reer stats: 83 catches for 1,143 yards.
Sutton’s also made $55 million in Broncos bucks with a $90 million extension that kicks in next season.
The 2025 season is his teaching moment.
Sutton knows what the young players are going through. During his first NFL preseason, he struggled so severely that he called Stepp, his college position coach, to vent about himself.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Sutton told Stepp.
“There was a moment of doubt that crept in, because I wasn’t having the early success that I really wanted to have in OTAs,” Sutton says.
Ask four Broncos fans which young receiver will emerge as the next big thing, and you might get four different answers. Here’s a hunch Bryant headlines the next wave of pass catchers. Why? The former Illinois team captain
SUTTON’S RANKINGS IN BRONCOS HISTORY
• Receptions: 379 (No. 9)
• Targets: 646 (No. 7)
• Receiving yards: 5,340 (No. 11)
• Touchdowns: 32 (No. 11)
shares several attributes with the former SMU captain, Sutton.
Ask their college position coach.
“The work ethic is the same. Pat Bryant was the first one in this (Illinois) building every morning. Same with Courtland (at SMU),” Stepp says. “Pat Bryant was a pro before he was drafted by the Broncos — diet, film, body, work. Courtland was like that — always doing extra work.”
Both wide receivers, Stepp says, knew every name in the building where they played college ball. Both wide receivers, Stepp says, you had to kick off the
field after practice.
Stepp remembers a recruiting event at SMU when Sutton, who was “by far the best player on the team,” was working as an intern with the stadium maintenance crew.
“Courtland was walking around all by himself, picking up trash. That’s who he is,” Stepp says. “And Pat has a lot of those same qualities — first in, last out. They share those same qualities.”
And what says you’ve made an impact beyond the football field?
When a coach names his first son after you.
“Our family obviously loves the kid. I’ll never forget that conversation with Courtland in my office: ‘I got something I need to ask you. Would you mind this?’” Justin Stepp says. “I’ll never forget that moment — ‘I want to name my son after you.’ That was a special one.”
JeriLee beNNett, tHe GaZette FiLe
With trade rumors for broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton, was he celebrating with the crowd or waving goodbye after the game? the broncos beat the Chiefs 24-9 at empower Field at mile High on Oct. 30, 2023.
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: WIN YOUR FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE WITH BRONCOS PLAYERS, INCLUDING BO NIX
Broncos’ fantasy football prospects are on the rise
BY CHRIS SCHMAEDEKE chris.schmaedeke@gazette.com
The depth of the Broncos roster isn’t just exciting for the team and fans. It’s also exciting for fantasy football fanatics.
General manager George Paton and coach Sean Payton have built what looks to be one of the deepest rosters in the NFL. Several rookies are expected to contribute right away. And those rookies are expected to be contributors for fantasy football teams as well.
“What I tell people is don’t let J.K. Dobbins stand in the way of you drafting RJ Harvey,” Fantasy Life senior analyst Kendall Valenzuela told The Denver Gazette. “I believe that RJ Harvey is going to be a great pick in fantasy drafts. It might take a bit longer and you might need patience. Harvey feels like such a Sean Payton guy.”
Neither Harvey nor Dobbins is ranked in the top 20 of positional rankings on sites like ESPN, Yahoo! and The Ringer. Harvey is ranked ahead of Dobbins by slim margins, even though Dobbins is considered the starter in Denver.
“I think RJ Harvey’s one of my favorite picks to walk out of drafts with if I can’t get an Omarion Hampton or a TreVeyon Henderson,” Valenzuela said. Harvey is not the only Denver rookie Valenzuela sees as a solid pick up in fantasy. Valenzuela is also very high on rookie Pat Bryant. The rookie receiver has shown plenty in camp and preseason games, but the talk of training camp was Troy Franklin.
“I haven’t taken him (Franklin) a lot in mock drafts. I’d rather take Pat Bryant than him,” Valenzuela said. “Bryant could really stand out as a late sleeper pick that you say, ‘Wow, I’m really glad I got him.’ ”
Most Broncos offensive players are not ranked high in fantasy. But there is potential for breakouts from players like Harvey, Bryant and even Franklin. Second-year quarterback Bo Nix is also part of that group. Nix threw for 29 touchdowns and rushed for four more during his rookie season and there is plenty of expectation for him to exceed those numbers.
“I’m not drafting him with the expectations that he’s going to finish as a top-three quarterback in fantasy football,” Valenzuela said. “But being right inside that top ten feels right to me, especially with how this new-look offense and having Sean Payton being able to
LEFT: broncos running back rJ Harvey runs past 49ers cornerback dallis Flowers during the first half of an Aug. 9 preseason game in Santa Clara, Calif. RIGHT: broncos wide receiver marvin mims Jr. runs the ball during an Aug. 23, 2024, preseason game against the Saints in New Orleans.
lift Nix up. I think inside the top 10 for fantasy football is right where he should be going.”
The Broncos defense has the highest ranking for fantasy football. The Ringer and Fantasy Life rank them as the top defense for fantasy, and Denver is in the top three for Yahoo and ESPN. A defense can help you in fantasy football, but it’s tough to count on a defense to win your league.
“I’ll throw that whole draft plan away if I can walk out with the Denver Broncos defense,” Valenzuela said. “You can’t necessarily win the whole thing with them, but they put you up in a good spot.”
FANTASY RANKINGS BY POSITION
ESPN
• Quarterback: No. 7 Bo Nix
• Running back: No. 27 RJ Harvey, No. 34 J.K. Dobbins
• Wide receiver: No. 24 Courtland Sutton, No. 57 Marvin Mims Jr.
• Tight end: No. 8 Evan Engram
• Kicker: No. 14 Wil Lutz
• Defense/ST: No. 3 Broncos
YAHOO
• Quarterback: No. 8 Bo Nix
• Running back: No. 24 RJ Harvey
• Wide receiver: No. 23 Courtland
Sutton
• Tight end: No. 9 Evan Engram
• Kicker: No. 8 Wil Lutz
• Defense/ST: No. 2 Broncos
THE RINGER
• Quarterback: No. 8 Bo Nix
• Running back: No. 24 RJ Harvey
• Wide receiver: No. 25 Courtland
Sutton
• Tight end: No. 9 Evan Engram
• Kicker: No. 6 Wil Lutz
• Defense/ST: No. 1 Broncos
pHOTOS by THE ASSOCiATEd prESS
Great teams show up for each other.
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Official Health Care Partner of the Denver Broncos
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BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: PRODUCE FROM TIGHT END POSITION IN TRADITION OF SHARPE, ODOMS
Engram, next great hope for elite Broncos tight end
BY KYLE FREDRICKSON kyle.fredrickson@gazette.com
ENGLEWOOD • Evan Engram is the first Broncos player to walk on the field. Every practice. No exceptions. Thirty minutes before it begins.
“It’s just how I’m wired now,” Engram said.
The 31-year-old NFL veteran enters his first Broncos season as their next great hope for an elite Broncos tight end. It’s been a significant drought. Denver has whiffed on most of its recent tight end draft picks — Jeff Heuerman (2015), Jake Butt (’17), Troy Fumagalli (’18), Noah Fant (’19), Albert Okwuegbunam (’20) and Greg Dulcich (’22) — prior to signing Engram this offseason in free agency.
But his eight NFL seasons also featured peaks and valleys.
The highs: Six receiving touchdowns as a rookie. A Pro Bowl selection with the Giants and Jaguars. At least 40 catches in every season. A career-best 114 receptions for 963 yards with Jacksonville in 2023.
The lows: Missed seven games due to injury in 2019 with New York. Eleven dropped passes in 2020. Just one career postseason appearance. Seven games missed last year because of injuries in Jacksonville.
The risk vs. reward is real with Engram.
But good luck finding anyone who questions his football dedication.
“I had some adversity early in my career, changed some things around, pushed myself a little bit more and found a routine that brought a lot of success,” Engram said about his training habits. “Once you find something that works, you keep going. It’s evolved.
I’ve gotten a lot smarter. There used to be days where I would literally practice before practice. Now, it’s just kind of a quick good warmup, getting the sweat going a little bit, getting the joints moving and just being ready for the day.”
Engram’s reputation as one of the NFL’s top pass-catching tight ends is evidenced by his role at Tight End University. The annual gathering of tight ends across the league has taken place over three days every summer going back to 2021.
It is designed for players to share techniques and training methods.
Broncos tight end Lucas Krull was among those tight ends in attendance for 2024 and 2025.
broncos tight end Evan Engram runs for a first down in the first quarter during an Aug. 8 preseason game against the Cardinals in denver.
BEST TIGHT END SEASONS IN BRONCOS HISTORY
Examining the top seasons from tight ends in Broncos history (by total receiving yards):
• 1997: Shannon Sharpe: 72 receptions for 1,107 yards and 3 TDs
• 1996: Shannon Sharpe: 80 receptions for 1,062 yards and 10 TDs
• 1994: Shannon Sharpe: 87 receptions for 1,010 yards and 4 TDs
• 1993: Shannon Sharpe: 81 receptions for 995 yards and 9 TDs
• 1978: Riley Odoms: 54 receptions for 829 yards and 6 TDs
• 2013: Julius Thomas: 65 receptions for 788 yards and 12 TDs
• 2003: Shannon Sharpe: 62 receptions for 770 yards and 8 TDs
• 1998: Shannon Sharpe: 64 receptions for 768 yards and 10 TDs
• 1995: Shannon Sharpe: 63 receptions for 756 yards and 4 TDs
• 2002: Shannon Sharpe: 61 receptions for 686 yards and 3 TDs
• 2020: Noah Fant: 62 receptions for 673 yards and 3 TDs
• 2021: Noah Fant: 68 receptions for 670 yards and 4 TDs
• 2008: Tony Scheffler: 40 receptions for 645 yards and 3 TDs
• 1992: Shannon Sharpe: 53 receptions for 640 yards and 2 TDs
• 1974: Riley Odoms: 42 receptions for 639 yards and 6 TDs
• 2014: Julius Thomas: 46 receptions for 489 yards and 12 TDs
“I’ll never forget my first year at Tight End U, when I met (Engram), the first thing I ever noticed was his first step off the ball,” Krull told The Denver Gazette. “This guy gets like 5 yards with one step. I had to go up to him. I said: ‘Dude, how do you get there? How do you do that? I’ve got long legs, but you explode.’ He talked about power over speed.”
Krull wasn’t the only tight end hoping to learn more from Engram.
“Evan had his own segment where he broke down releases and stuff at the line,” Krull said. “Travis (Kelce) goes
up there talking about routes. George (Kittle) goes up there and does a lot of awesome stuff in the run game. ... It’s so awesome to learn from these guys that have been doing it for years and years at the highest level.”
Tight end Evan Engram becoming a favorite target of Bo Nix | Broncos training camp Day 6 Engram’s elite habits have already been on display with the Broncos before playing a regular-season snap. Tight end Adam Trautman noticed one thing in particular during practice at training camp.
“The time he spends talking to the quarterbacks,” Trautman told The Denver Gazette. “Like: ‘How do you see this, Bo (Nix)? How do you want this run? How do you see this route versus this coverage?’ Things like that, it’s something I’ve been around, but he takes it to a different level in how he communicates it.”
Engram’s talent was on full display in the second preseason game.
On second-and-8 from their own 5-yard-line, quarterback Jarrett Stidham rolled out right on play action. He connected with Engram on a short crossing route, and the veteran tight end did the rest. Engram sprinted down the sideline — with excellent blocks from wide receivers Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant — for a gain of 58 yards.
“He’s an elite receiver, and I’m not even going to say for a tight end,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said. “His movement skills are fantastic. He can jump, jump up in the red zone and grab those high balls. He can separate, and (he is) a smart player. ... The things you don’t know when you’re watching film on a guy that you’re not familiar with is just how serious he takes it, how hard he works, and so he’s been all positives.”
Engram joins a team with Super Bowl expectations laid out by coach Sean Payton. The veteran tight end embraces that lofty goal, especially after his lone playoff appearance in 2023 resulted in Jaguars heartbreak — losing 27-20 to the Chiefs in the divisional round.
“It’s a championship mindset. We’re not really listening or worried about what’s said outside,” Engram said. “That’s just our standard every day. That’s something that we have to earn. It’s not going to be handed to us, and it’s not just going to fall in our lap. How we attack every single day is going to push us in that direction.”
That’s why you’ll find Engram on the practice field at Broncos Park long before most teammates.
“There’s no shortage of hard work from him and he cares about it a lot. That’s something I heard when we signed him,” Trautman told The Denver Gazette. “He’s shown it. It’s not just talk. I actually just talked to one of the tight ends on Arizona, one of my buddies that I came out in the draft class with. He said: ‘Isn’t it crazy that Evan is out here every day 30 minutes before practice?’ ”
JEriLEE bENNETT, THE GAZETTE
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: CULTIVATE FLAG FOOTBALL AS THE FASTEST-GROWING HIGH SCHOOL SPORT IN COLORADO
Broncos at forefront of Colorado’s fastest-growing sport: girls flag football
BY EVAN RAWAL evan.rawal@gazette.com
The fastest-growing high school sport in Colorado is girls flag football. Thank the Broncos for that.
When the 2025 flag football season kicked off for the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) in mid-August, 74 teams were ready to compete. Just a few years prior, that number was zero, because a flag football program in the state did not exist for girls.
The Broncos sought to change that.
“This started in conversations years ago,” Allie Engelken, vice president of community impact and executive director of the Denver Broncos Foundation, told The Denver Gazette. “Myself and our senior director of youth and high school football, Bobby Maestas, met with the Denver Broncos Foundation board of directors and really saw an opportunity to support the growth of girls athletics and through the lens of flag football.”
They quickly learned they were correct. Their vision became reality when the pilot program for girls flag football began in 2022.
The Broncos partnered with three school districts — Denver, Jefferson County and Cherry Creek — to bring the dream to life. Since they had to follow specific bylaws before CHSAA would recognize flag football as a sanctioned high school sport in the state, the Denver Broncos Foundation was responsible for everything during the pilot program. That meant hiring the trainers and the officials and scheduling the games. They also had to make sure there was an end-of-season championship for the teams in lieu of a formal state championship.
Twenty-two teams from those initial three districts competed in the first year of the pilot program. It was so successful the number of teams more than doubled the following year, as 50 teams took part in the 2023 season.
“What that told us is that the interest was there,” Engelken said. “The girls were wanting to play, wanting the opportunity, and at that time we started expanding to other school districts.”
Given the success of the pilot program, it would have been impossible
for CHSAA to ignore the demand for the sport at the high school level. After the completion of the 2023 season, the Broncos, backed with data and feedback, made their formal presentations to CHSAA. The latter’s council voted overwhelmingly in favor of making Colorado the 11th state to sanction girls flag football.
While CHSAA has taken over the dayto-day responsibilities, the Broncos are not out of the picture. Not by a longshot.
At the team’s Aug. 16th preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, the Broncos unveiled additions to the helmet wall at Empower Field that had existed for over a decade, adding flags from all 74 CHSAA-sanctioned teams to the wall. They also hosted a coach’s clinic and implemented a coach-ofthe-week program where the winner receives grant funding to support their program. The Broncos bring state champions to a game each year.
While there are 74 teams participating in the 2025 season, the Broncos want to continue to support the growth of the program.
“I hope that it continues to expand,
Cherry Creek High School prepares to compete against arvada West High School during the 2023 broncos Girls High School Flag Football championship tournament at Centura Health training Center on Oct. 14, 2023, in englewood.
COUrteSy OF beN SWaNSON
especially outside of the I-25 corridor,” Engelken said. “We’re looking to impact students and schools not only on the Eastern plains, but also on the Western slope. .... This sport will continue to grow stronger as more girls are playing.”
New teams interested in playing flag football are able to request financial assistance from the Denver Broncos Foundation for their upstart costs.
The Broncos are also heavily involved in growing the game at a junior level to prepare those athletes for high school-level flag football.
The efforts by the Broncos to get the sport sanctioned have benefited girls all over the state, giving them an opportunity that girls didn’t have just five years ago. That was the ultimate goal of the program.
“Fifty-one percent of our pilot participants would not have played another fall sport if it wasn’t for flag football,” Engelken said. “We’re really able to offer scholastic, as well as sports opportunities, to girls that wouldn’t have been playing sports otherwise without the addition of a new sport.”
And now those opportunities exist be-
yond high school. Representatives from colleges were present at the state championship games last year to meet girls interested in playing at the next level, which several Colorado girls have gone on to do. In 2028, flag football will debut as an Olympic sport for men and women. For the players involved, the benefits go beyond having the opportunity to play a game they enjoy. The physical benefits of playing any sport are clear, but the positive impact on one’s mental health can’t be ignored.
A two-year research study partnership between the Broncos and Children’s Hospital Colorado found that female adolescents who participated in a team sport like flag football reported lower anxiety levels than individual sport athletes. In addition, it was found that participation in organized sports was associated with higher body appreciation among females, as well as better sleep consistency during the season.
“There is a place for women in sports, and there is a place for women in football,” Engelken said. “Football is for all, and we’re proud to be a part of that in our landscape.”
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: POSSIBLE
Broncos’ pass rush key in breaking franchise sacks record set last season
BY MARISSA KRAUS marissa.kraus@gazette.com
The Broncos’ secondary was dominant last season, with veterans helping set a league-leading and franchise-record 63 sacks.
One of this season’s missions, as ambitious as it sounds, is to reset that franchise record.
“I don’t see a reason for us not to be the most dominant unit in the league,” outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper said. “There’s nothing holding us back. There’s nothing stopping us. So, taking it up another level. ... I don’t think any of us have reached our potential. And we’re just going to keep working until we’re the best in the league.”
Cooper ended the season with a career-high 10.5 sacks after starting the season with 5.5 sacks through nine games.
Besides Cooper, Denver returns several pieces for a strong pass rush, including veteran outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and defensive lineman Zach Allen, the latter of whom recently signed a 4-year, $120 million contract extension. Bonitto is on track for a huge payday of his own.
Allen recorded 8.5 sacks, a career-high 61 tackles, including 15 for loss, and 40 quarterback hits in 16 games last season to earn All-Pro second-team honors.
Bonitto will also be vital in reaching that elusive 63 after becoming a regular starter last season to lead the team with 13.5 sacks. He was the first Broncos player with double-digit sacks in a season since Von Miller and Bradley Chubb in 2018.
“As a defense as a total, we want to have the No. 1 defense,” Bonitto said. “As far as individual, just to be better than last year. I kind of have taken pride in just getting better every year, finding ways to be better in my game and just help the defense be better.”
Bonitto feels optimistic about this year’s defense from the fact that several players, including himself, have been in defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s systems for three years.
“It’s kind of like in the back of our
NFL SINGLE-SEASON SACKS RECORDS
• 1984 Bears: 72 sacks
• 1989 Vikings: 71
• 2022 Eagles: 70
• 1987 Bears: 70
• 1985 Giants: 68
• 1967 Raiders: 67
• 2000 Saints: 66
• 1984 Redskins: 66
• 1981 Jets: 66
SOURCE: PRO FOOTBALL REFERENCE
Roach brings production on the field, but more than that, coach Sean Payton said he brings leadership and a positive energy to his position group.
“You hear him before you see him,” coach Sean Payton said in June. “And I like that energy about him.”
Robinson, a fourth-round pick from Alabama in the 2025 draft, has shown promise during training camp. Despite the Crimson Tide being in the bottom 25 in sacks nationally, Robinson totaled 23 tackles, including a team-high seven for loss, and four sacks prior to a season-ending injury his senior year.
[He is] further along than I can say I was as a rookie,” Bonitto said. “The main thing with him is just going. When he goes, there’s nobody that can stop him. He’s just a freight train. He can run through anybody. It’s just a matter of when he knows what he’s doing, he can just go. He’s really dominant.”
The Broncos pass rush is bolstered by an equally strong defensive staff with Joseph at the helm. Despite last year’s success, Joseph sees this year, like any, as a new team with no guarantees.
heads what we have to do, all the checks we have to make,” Bonitto said.
“Obviously catching the new guys up to speed (is important). It’s been great so far, and I feel like with the more guys that are coming back from injury, the more time we get to play together, it’s going to be even brighter.”
Beyond the starters, players like defensive tackle Malcolm Roach and
rookie outside linebacker Que Robinson have also received high praise in the offseason to bring depth to the team’s pass rush.
After signing a two-year contract with the Broncos ahead of the 2024 season, Roach recorded 43 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits and the first forced fumble and fumble recovery of his career.
“We had a great defense. That was last year. This year is totally different,” Joseph said. “My entire sell this entire offseason has been, ‘Let’s start over again. Let’s keep improving.’ Last year counts, but it doesn’t matter moving forward. We have to continue to improve…every year it’s different…If it’s right, we should be a good defense, but it’s no guarantee. You have to go to work.”
THE ASSOCiATEd prESS
broncos linebacker Nik bonitto pressures 49ers quarterback mac Jones during an Aug. 9 preseason game in Santa Clara, Calif.
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: POSSIBLE
SPORTS GAMBLING
Broncos popular pick for sports bettors
tHe aSSOCiated preSS FiLe
denver broncos quarterback bo Nix (10) calls a play during a preseason football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, on aug. 23, 2024. Going into the season, the broncos’ starting quarterback is facing +6000 odds to be the league’s most valuable player.
BY CHRIS SCHMAEDEKE chris.schmaedeke@gazette.com
The Broncos’ hype has extended into the world of sports betting.
After coach Sean Payton spoke about Super Bowl aspirations, general manager George Paton boasted about the roster, and Denver became a talking point of the national media, bettors are getting in on the buzz.
Most sports books, including BetMGM and FanDuel, have the Broncos’ win total at over/under 9.5 wins, an increase from 5.5 prior to last season. That win total is the same as the Los Angeles Chargers and two wins behind the Kansas City Chiefs.
“That’s why the juice is really sky high at some books (on Denver’s win total),” BetMGM Tonight host and founder TheGamingJuice.com Brad Evans told The Denver Gazette. “If they can reach the summits and fire on all cylinders offensively and defensively, this team is
not only going to be playoff bound but is a dark horse to possibly represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.”
The Broncos’ odds to make the playoffs sit at minus-128 on BetMGM, opposed to being +520 to make the playoffs to open last season. Denver’s odds of making the playoffs are the same as the Chargers, and both teams are +310 to steal the AFC West crown for the Chiefs.
“I think the odds are fair. A lot of people are high on the Chargers,” Evans said. “But again, who is more balanced? That’s the question you must ask yourself. I would 100% say that Denver should have better odds than the L.A. Chargers of winning the division.”
The Chargers swept the Broncos last season, which might contribute to oddsmakers keeping the two teams on the same level in the betting landscape.
“I understand it and where it’s coming from and what BetMGM has set,” Evans said. “Do I agree with it? Hell,
BRONCOS BETS
Week 1 vs. Titans: Broncos (-8)
To win Super Bowl LX: +2500
To win AFC: +1400
To win AFC West: +310
To make playoffs: (-128)
MVP: QB Bo Nix (+6000)
Defensive Player of the Year: CB
Patrick Surtain (+3300)
NFL Coach of the Year: Sean Payton (+2000)
ODDS PROVIDED BY BETMGM
no, I don’t agree with it because I do believe that Denver, at a minimum, is going to be the second-best team in the division.”
Payton has plenty of confidence in his team. He has plenty of confidence in his coaching staff. And he has shown plenty of confidence in himself as a coach.
But sports books don’t see Payton as a
betting winner this season. He is middle of the pack in NFL Coach of the Year odds at 20-to-1. Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears is at the top of that list at +600.
“Take my money, BetMGM, take it,” Evans said. “That’s ridiculous that it’s 20-1 odds for him to win Coach of the Year. For the savvy gambler out there, if you are buying in, it’s a wise bet on Sean Payton to win Coach of the Year.”
The Broncos have one of the biggest point spreads in Week 1 against the Titans. BetMGM has the Broncos favored by 8 points, while FanDuel comes in at 7.5. The Eagles are also favored over the Cowboys by 7.5 points for the Thursday opener.
“It’s what I always tell my audience: ‘It’s your money. I’m not going to tell you to spend it,’” Evand said. “But as somebody who is a dedicated sports bettor, and I saw that line, I immediately grabbed it. They are going to win by 10 or more.”
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: POSSIBLE
Could we see a 1,000-yard rusher this year?
‘Revamped’ run game may give Denver something it hasn’t had since 2019
BY KYLE FREDRICKSON kyle.fredrickson@gazette.com
ENGLEWOOD
• There is one Broncos certainty about their running game after five straight seasons without a 1,000-yard rusher.
“It’s going to be different,” coach Sean Payton said.
Different faces. Different scheme. Different results?
That’s the ultimate Broncos question entering the upcoming NFL season. Denver never gained traction on the ground last year with leading rusher Javonte Williams accounting for only 513 yards on 139 carries. The Broncos drafted Audric Estime out of Notre Dame in the fifth round in 2024, and he finished with just 76 carries for 310 yards. The Broncos moved on from both running backs this year.
Now entering the picture: Veteran J.K. Dobbins and second-round pick RJ Harvey.
“We’ve immediately upgraded that position,” Payton said about running backs. “We brought in leadership with J.K. and we drafted Harvey early. So, you’re going to see a difference and hopefully a markedly different running game. It’s not always going to be perfect. But that’s the magic of the good back. There’s been a lot of great runs where maybe the looks weren’t as clean, and it was the ability. ... I think that we’re going to be further along there.”
Dobbins, 26, is proven as an elite rusher when healthy.
He averaged 5.2 yards per carry over three seasons playing for the Ravens and one with the Chargers. Dobbins compiled 1,058 scrimmage yards last season in Los Angeles with 905 on the ground. But he’s also missed a significant number of games due to injury, including a torn ACL, torn Achilles and sprained MCL.
“I don’t know how to give up. I don’t know how to lay down,” Dobbins said during organized team activities (OTAs) in June. “That was the reason why I was able to come back from those injuries. ... I want to get a ring. I’ve been in the playoffs every year I’ve played, so I’m tired of losing in them. That’s my goal. Bring a Super Bowl to the city (of Denver) and just be a blessing to the community as well.”
up
in Englewood.
BRONCOS’ 1,000-YARD RUSHERS SINCE 2000
2019 — Phillip Lindsay: 224 carries for 1,011 yards and 7 touchdowns
2018 — Phillip Lindsay: 192 carries for 1,037 yards and 9 touchdowns
2017 — C.J. Anderson: 245 carries for 1,007 yards and 3 touchdowns
2013 — Knowshon Moreno: 241 carries for 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns
2011 — Willis McGahee: 249 carries for 1,199 yards and 4 touchdowns
2006 — Tatum Bell: 233 carries for 1,025
Harvey, 24, is a rookie with plenty of upside. He combined for 2,993 yards rushing over his final two seasons at the University of Central Florida with 38 touchdowns. Harvey also fumbled just once over 252 touches last season. His usage rate this season might ultimately depend on his growth in pass protection. But Harvey has all the tools to become Denver’s featured running back of the future.
“I want to make an immediate impact in this league,” Harvey said during rookie minicamp back in May. “I want to be like those guys. Darren Sproles, he went crazy with the Saints. (Alvin) Kamara, too. I want to be better than
yards and 2 touchdowns
2004 — Reuben Droughns: 275 carries for 1,240 yards and 6 touchdowns
2003 — Clinton Portis: 290 carries for 1,591 yards and 14 touchdowns
2002 — Clinton Portis: 273 carries for 1,508 yards and 15 touchdowns
2000 — Mike Anderson: 297 carries for 1,487 yards and 15 touchdowns
KYLE FREDRICKSON, THE GAZETTE
those guys. So, I’m going to work every day to get better and just prove myself to all the vets and the coaches.”
The Broncos have also embraced a revamped run-blocking scheme and, specifically, a commitment to the outside zone. The scheme requires offensive linemen and tight ends to block laterally in unison, allowing rushers to attack the edge and cut back or bounce it outside.
“It’s more about our philosophy and the angles we’re trying to create,” starting right guard Quinn Meinerz said in training camp. “Each back has their own individuality and personality to themselves, but right now what we’re
trying to develop in our offense is a very specific and detailed run game.”
Tight end Adam Trautman added: “The progression of it’s been great. We’re calling it and we’re running it. It’s not a, ‘Let’s focus on this’ all offseason and then we get to the games, preseason or whatever and it’s like, ‘We’re not really calling it. We’re kind of doing the same thing we’ve always done in the run game.’ It’s good to see that. Obviously, coach Payton trusts it as well, which is a huge deal because he is the play caller. It’s been awesome, and it’ll help the offense for sure.”
Yet the jury is still out after the preseason.
Dobbins did not record any rushing stats. Harvey logged 13 carries for 47 yards and one touchdown. The firstteam offensive line, with limited reps, did not create many explosive rushing plays. But there is plenty of time for Denver to showcase its renewed effort to run the football.
“It’s a process,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said regarding the outside-zone run scheme. “It’s something that we’ve run in one fashion or another, and we’re just detailing up some of our landmarks and rules. I think it’s coming along really well.”
THE ASSOCiATEd prESS
denver broncos running back J.K. dobbins warms
during a training camp practice on July 26 at the team’s headquarters
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: POSSIBLE
The Denver Gazette’s NFL predictions
pHOtOS by tHe aSSOCiated preSS
LEFT: bengals quarterback Joe burrow and Commanders quarterback Jayden daniels talk following an aug. 18 preseason game in Landover, md. RIGHT: Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh warms up before an aug. 23 preseason game against the 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif.
BY THE DENVER GAZETTE SPORTS STAFF
PAUL KLEE, SPORTS EDITOR
Broncos record/playoff status:
10-7/loss in AFC wild card round
Broncos MVP: Pat Surtain
NFL MVP: Joe Burrow, Bengals
Offensive Player of the Year: Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals
Defensive Player of the Year: Micah Parsons, Packers
Coach of the Year: Jim Harbaugh, Chargers
Comeback Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, 49ers
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ashton Jeanty, Raiders
Defensive Rookie of the Year:
James Pearce Jr., Falcons
NFC championship: Eagles vs. Lions
AFC championship: Ravens vs. Chargers
Super Bowl LX: Ravens 20, Lions 17
CHRIS SCHMAEDEKE, DIGITAL SPORTS EDITOR
Broncos record/playoff status:
11-6/loss in AFC divisional round
Broncos MVP: Nik Bonitto
NFL MVP: Joe Burrow, Bengals
Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Jefferson, Vikings
Defensive Player of the Year:
Micah Parson, Packers
Coach of the Year: Mike Vrabel, Patriots
Comeback Player of the Year:
Christian McCaffrey, 49ers
Offensive Rookie of the Year:
Ashton Jeanty, Raiders
Defensive Rookie of the Year:
Travis Hunter, Jaguars
NFC championship: Packers vs. Buccaneers
AFC championship: Bills vs. Ravens
Super Bowl LX: Bills 27, Packers 20
MARK KISZLA, SPORTS COLUMNIST
Broncos record/playoff status:
10-7/loss in AFC wild card round
Broncos MVP: J.K. Dobbins
NFL MVP: Josh Allen, Bills
Offensive Player of the Year: Bijon Robinson, Falcons
Defensive Player of the Year: Will Anderson Jr., Texans
Coach of the Year: Raheem Morris, Falcons
Comeback Player of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson, Lions
Offensive Rookie of the Year: TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots
Defensive Rookie of the Year:
Abdul Carter, Giants
NFC championship: 49ers vs. Falcons
AFC championship: Bills vs. Bengals
Super Bowl LX: Bills 31, 49ers 28
CHRIS TOMASSON, BRONCOS REPORTER
Broncos record/playoff status:
11-6/loss in AFC divisional round
Broncos MVP: Bo Nix
NFL MVP: Joe Burrow, Bengals
Offensive Player of the Year: Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals
Defensive Player of the Year: Aidan
Hutchinson, Lions
Coach of the Year: Ben Johnson, Bears
Comeback Player of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson, Lions
Offensive Rookie of the Year:
Ashton Jeanty, Raiders
Defensive Rookie of the Year:
Abdul Carter, Giants
NFC championship: Eagles vs. Packers
AFC championship: Bills vs. Chiefs
Super Bowl LX: Bills 30, Eagles 27
KYLE FREDRICKSON, BRONCOS REPORTER
Broncos record/playoff status:
10-7/loss in AFC wild card round
Broncos MVP: Bo Nix
NFL MVP: Lamar Jackson, Ravens
Offensive Player of the Year: Saquon Barkley, Eagles
Defensive Player of the Year: Maxx
Crosby, Raiders
Coach of the Year: Liam Coen, Jaguars
Comeback Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, 49ers
Offensive Rookie of the Year:
Omarion Hampton, Chargers
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Abdul Carter, Giants
NFC championship: Eagles vs. Lions
AFC championship: Bengals vs. Ravens
Super Bowl LX: Eagles 27, Ravens 21
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: END KANSAS CITY’S NINE-YEAR REIGN AS AFC WEST CHAMPS
Chiefs still the team to beat in AFC West
BY VINNY BENEDETTO vinny.benedetto@gazette.com
So much has changed in the AFC West.
Yet to start the season, the Chiefs still appear in control.
The last time Kansas City didn’t win the division was 2015 when the Broncos went 12-5. While the Broncos, Chargers and Raiders plan on being much improved, the Chiefs still have the highest projected win total for the season.
Here’s where each team stands to start the season:
Denver Broncos
Coach: Sean Payton, third season
Last year: 10-7, lost in wild card
Over/under wins: 9.5
Key additions: RB J.K. Dobbins, RB RJ Harvey, TE Evan Engram, LB Dre Greenlaw, CB Jahdae Barron, S Talanoa Hufanga
Key departures: RB Javonte Williams, WR Devaughn Vele, LB Cody Barton, P Riley Dixon
Outlook: If Bo Nix takes another step in his second season, the Broncos will make plans for the playoffs with an outside shot at a Super Bowl. Courtland Sutton and Engram give the signal-caller trusted options in the receiving game, while Dobbins and Harvey look to carry most of the weight in the run game. A strong defense led by Defensive Player of the Year candidates Patrick Surtain II and Nik Bonitto is fortified by the additions of Greenlaw and Hufanga. If it all comes together, it could be the season Denver fans have been awaiting for a decade. Denver opens the season at home against the Titans on Sunday.
Kansas City Chiefs
Coach: Andy Reid, 13th season
Last year: 15-2, lost in Super Bowl
Over/under wins: 11.5
Key additions: QB Gardnew Minshew, RB Elijah Mitchell, OT Josh Simmons, OG Trey Smith, CB Kristian Fulton, P Matt Araiza
Key departures: QB Carson Wentz, WR Mecole Hardman, WR DeAndre Hopkins, OT D.J. Humphries, OG Joe Thuney, DL Tershawn Wharton, DL Derrick Nnadi, S Justin Reid
Outlook: Patrick Mahomes is still surrounded by Isiah Pacheco, Xavier Worthy and Travis Kelce at the skill positions, and that means the Chiefs are thinking Super Bowl for the fourth
consecutive season and sixth time in seven years. The dynasty talk was disrupted by Philadelphia’s 40-22 win in last season’s finale, but that might be more motivation as Kansas City’s core gets closer to the end of its time. Reid will be missed in the Chiefs’ secondary, but Fulton looks to be an upgrade at corner. The Chiefs host the Chargers in a divisional season-opener on Friday.
Las Vegas Raiders
Coach: Pete Carroll, first season
Last year: 4-13, missed playoffs
Over/under wins: 6.5
Key additions: QB Geno Smith, RB
Ashton Jeanty, RB Raheem Mostert, DE
Malcolm Koonce, DT Adam Butler, LB
Germaine Pratt, LB Elandon Roberts, LB Devin White, CB Eric Stokes, CB
Darnay Holmes, SS Jeremy Chinn, FS
Isaiah Pola-Mao
Key departures: QB Gardner Minshew, RB Alexander Mattison, RB
Ameer Abdullah, Edge K’Lavon Chaisson, LB Robert Spillane, LB Divine Deablo, S Tre’von Moehrig
Outlook: It’s a whole new era in the desert. Pete Carroll dusted off his playbook and returned to coaching after a year serving as an advisor in Seattle. He’s bringing a new starting quarterback, Smith, and a top-10 pick at running back in Jeanty, while Bowers figures to be one of the game’s most productive tight ends. Last season’s middle-of-the-road defense featured more overhaul than the offense. It looks like an uphill battle to make the playoffs, but the pieces are getting into place for a future push. The Raiders will get their first look at this season’s squad on Sunday in New England.
Los Angeles Chargers
Coach: Jim Harbaugh, second season
Last year: 11-6, lost in wild card
Over/under wins: 9.5
Key additions: RB Omarion Hampton, RB Najee Harris, WR Keenan Allen, TE Tyler Conklin, OG Mekhi Becton, DE Da’Shawn Hand, CB Donte Jackson
Key departures: RB J.K. Dobbins, RB Gus Edwards, WR Josh Palmer, Edge Joey Bosa, DT Poona Ford, DT Morgan Fox, CB Kristian Fulton
Outlook: The Chargers made solid progress in Jim Harbaugh’s first season back in the NFL, and the good news is he won’t be heading back to the college game soon after being presented a four-year show case. The bad news is the departures of Bosa, Ford and Fox will leave some holes to be plugged in the defensive front. If they can replace the trio, the Chargers can start the Harbaugh era with consecutive playoff berths. The Week 1 date with Kansas City makes for a tough start, but at least it’s in Los Angeles.
Editor’s note: Win totals via draftKings
THE ASSOCiATEd prESS
Chiefs quarterback patrick mahomes throws while being chased by broncos cornerback riley moss during the second half Nov. 10 in Kansas City, mo.
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: GET TO KNOW RETURNERS, NEWCOMERS ON PAYTON’S COACHING STAFF
Coach ’em up: A close look at Broncos’ coaching staff
BY VINNY BENEDETTO vinny.benedetto@gazette.com
SEAN PAYTON, HEAD COACH
Season with Broncos: Third Seasons in NFL: 27
Previous experience: Saints (head coach 2006-11, 2013-21), Cowboys (assistant to head coach/quarterbacks coach 2003-05), Giants (Offensive coordinator 2000-02, quarterbacks coach 1999), Eagles (Quarterbacks coach 199798) College: Eastern Illinois
PAUL KELLY, ASSISTANT TO HEAD COACH Season with Broncos: Third Seasons in NFL: 25
Previous experience: Commanders (director of football operations 2010-20), Buccaneers (assistant to head coach 2004-08), Raiders (assistant to head coach 1998-2003) College: California State University-East Bay
OFFENSE
JOE LOMBARDI, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR Season with Broncos: Third Seasons in NFL: 20
Previous experience: Chargers (offensive coordinator 2021-22), Saints (quarterbacks 2009-13, 2016-20, offensive assistant 2007-08), Lions (offensive coordinator 2014-15), Falcons (defensive assistant 2006), Mercyhurst (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks 2002-05) College: Air Force
LOU AYENI, RUNNING BACKS
Season with Broncos: Third Seasons in NFL: 3
Previous experience: Northwestern (running backs/recruiting coordinator 2018-22, graduate assistant 2008-09), Iowa State (associate head coach/run game coordinator 2016-17, running backs 2014-15), Toledo (associate head coach/ run game coordinator 2011-13, running backs 2010) College: Northwestern
KEARY COLBERT, WIDE RECEIVERS Season with Broncos: Third Seasons in NFL: 3
Previous experience: Florida (wide receivers 2022), Southern California (wide receivers 201921, tight ends 2018, offensive quality control 2016-17, graduate assistant 2010), Alabama (offensive analyst 2014-15), Georgia State (wide receivers 2013) College: Southern California
AUSTIN KING, TIGHT ENDS
Season with Broncos: Third (first as tight ends coach)
Seasons in NFL: 5
tHe aSSOCiated preSS
broncos head coach Sean payton responds to questions during a news conference after beating the Saints in an aug. 23 preseason game in New Orleans.
Previous experience: Broncos (offensive line assistant 2023-24), Bears (offensive line assistant 2022), Raiders (tight ends 2021, offensive quality control 2020), Dayton (offensive coordinator 2017-19, offensive line 2015-16), Syracuse (offensive quality control 2014), Toledo (offensive quality control 2012-13) College: Northwestern
ZACH GROSSI, PASSING GAME SPECIALIST
Season with Broncos: Fourth Seasons in NFL: 9
Previous experience: Broncos (offensive quality control 2022-23), Southern University
A&M (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks 202021), Hampton (quarterbacks 2019), Buccaneers (offensive quality control 2017-18, assistant to head coach 2016, scout 2015, scouting assistant 2014), Concord (offensive graduate assistant 2013) College: Concord University
LOGAN KILGORE, OFFENSIVE QUALITY CONTROL
Season with Broncos: Third Seasons in NFL: 3
Previous experience: Arkansas State (tight ends 2022, offensive analyst 2021), Isidore
Newman High School (offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks 2022), Bakersfield College (quarterbacks/pass game coordinator 2018) College: Middle Tennessee State
ZACH STRIEF, OFFENSIVE LINE
Season with Broncos: Third Seasons in NFL: 5
Previous experience: Saints (assistant offensive line 2021-22) College: Northwestern
FAVIAN UPSHAW, OFFENSIVE QUALITY CONTROL
Season with Broncos: Third Seasons in NFL: 3
Previous experience: Tulane (offensive analyst/recruiting 2022, graduate assistant 2018-19), Georgia Southern (running backs 2021), Benedict College (quarterbacks 2020), Savannah State (wide receivers/running backs 2020), Astronaut High School (co-offensive coordinator 2017) College: Georgia Southern
DAVIS WEBB, QUARTERBACKS/PASS GAME COORDINATOR
Season with Broncos: Third
Seasons in NFL: 3
Previous experience: N/A College: Texas Tech
PETE CARMICHAEL, SENIOR OFFENSIVE ASSISTANT
Seasons with Broncos: Second Seasons in NFL: 25
Previous experience: Saints (offensive coordinator 2009-23, quarterbacks 2006-08), Chargers (assistant wide receivers 2004-05, offensive quality control 2002-03), Commanders (quality control 2001), Browns (tight ends/ offensive assistant 2000), Louisiana Tech (quarterbacks 1995-99), New Hampshire (assistant offensive line 1994) College: Boston College
EVAN ROTHSTEIN, DIRECTOR OF GAME MANAGEMENT/OFFENSIVE LINE ASSISTANT Season with Broncos: First Seasons in NFL: 14
Previous experience: Patriots (assistant quarterbacks/director of game management 2024, assistant quarterbacks 2023, offensive assistant 2022, research and analytics 2021) Lions (assistant/research and analytics 2018-20, offensive assistant 2015-17, special projects 2014, special teams quality control 2012-13), Syracuse (offensive quality control 2010-11) College: SUNY Cortland
CHRIS MORGAN, OFFENSIVE LINE ASSISTANT
Season with Broncos: First Season in NFL: 17
Previous experience: Bears (offensive line coach 2022-23, offensive line coach and run-game coordinator), Steelers (assistant offensive line 2021), Falcons (offensive line coach 2015-20), Seahawks (assistant offensive line 2014), Commanders (assistant offensive line 2011-13), Raiders (assistant offensive line 2009-10), Westfield High School (offensive coordinator/special teams coordinator 2004-08) College: Colorado
DEFENSE
VANCE JOSEPH, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Season with Broncos: Fifth (third as defensive coordinator)
Seasons in NFL: 21
Previous experience: Cardinals (defensive coordinator 2019-22), Broncos (head coach 2017-18), Dolphins (defensive coordinator 2016), Bengals (defensive backs coach 2014-15), Texans (defensive backs coach 2011-13), 49ers (defensive backs coach 2006-10, assistant defensive backs coach 2005) College: Colorado
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: POSSIBLE
COACHES
JAMAR CAIN, DEFENSIVE LINE
Season with Broncos: Third (second as defensive line coach)
Seasons in NFL: Three
Previous experience: Louisiana State (defensive line 2022), Oklahoma (outside linebackers/ defensive ends 2020-21), Arizona State (2019), Fresno State (defensive line 2017-18), North Dakota State (defensive line 2014-16) College: New Mexico State
ADDISON LYNCH, CORNERBACKS
Seasons with Broncos: Third (first as cornerbacks coach)
Seasons in NFL: 8
Previous experience: Lions (defensive quality control 2022), Raiders (assistant defensive backs 2021), Chargers (assistant defensive backs 2020, defensive quality control 2018-19), Florida State (quality control assistant 2012-17) College: Bryant
ISAAC SHEWMAKER, LINEBACKERS
Seasons with Broncos: Third (first as linebackers coach)
Seasons in NFL: 5
Previous experience: Chargers (defensive quality control 2021-22), Tennessee (graduate assistant 2020). College: Alabama
JOE VITT, SENIOR DEFENSIVE ANALYST
Seasons with Broncos: Third Seasons in NFL: 44
Previous experience: Jets (defensive assistant/linebackers 2019-20), Dolphins (senior director of football/player development 2018), Saints (interim head coach 2012, assistant head coach/linebackers 2006-16), Rams (interim head coach 2005, assistant head coach/linebackers 2004-05, assistant head coach/defensive backs 1992-94), Chiefs (linebackers 2000-03), Packers (defensive backs 1999), Eagles (linebackers 1995-98), Seahawks (safeties 1988-91, quality control/ assistant linebackers 1983-87), defensive quality control (1982), Colts (strength/quality control 1979-81) College: Towson State
JIM LEONHARD, DEFENSIVE PASS GAME COORDINATOR
Season with Broncos: Second Seasons in NFL: Two
Previous experience: Illinois (senior football analyst, 2023), Wisconsin (interim coach 2022, defensive coordinator/defensive backs 2017-22, defensive backs 2016) College: Wisconsin
JEFF SCHMEDDING, INSIDE LINEBACKERS
Season with Broncos: First Seasons in NFL: First
Previous experience: Washington State (defensive coordinator, 2023-24), Auburn (defensive coordinator 2022, linebackers 2021), Boise State (defensive coordinator/linebackers 2019-20), Eastern Washington (defensive coordinator/ safeties 2015-18, Special teams coordinator/ safeties 2010-14, special teams coordinator/ linebackers 2008-09, safeties 2007) College: Eastern Washington
TODD DAVIS, DEFENSIVE QUALITY CONTROL
Season with Broncos: second Seasons in NFL: second
Previous experience: Broncos (Bill Walsh minority coaching fellowship, 2024) College: Sacramento State
BRIAN NIEDERMEYER, DEFENSIVE QUALITY CONTROL
Season with Broncos: First Seasons in NFL: First
Previous experience: Tuscaloosa County High School (defensive coordinator, 2024), IMG Academy (defensive coordinator 2022-23), St. Thomas Aquinas High School (assistant, 2021), Tennessee (tight ends, 2018-20), Alabama (graduate assistant, 2016), Georgia (graduate assistant, 2015), East Texas Baptist (wide receivers, 2014), Miami (defensive analyst, 2013)
SPECIAL TEAMS
DARREN RIZZI, SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR
Season with Broncos: First Seasons in NFL: 16
Previous experience: Saints (interim coach 2024, assistant head coach/special teams
coordinator 2022-24, special teams coordinator 2019-21), Dolphins (associate head coach/special teams coordinator 2017-18, special teams coordinator 2010-16, special teams assistant 2009), Rhode Island (head coach 2008), Rutgers (special teams coordinator 2002-07), New Haven (head coach 1999-2001, defensive coordinator 1997, special teams coordinator/ defensive line 1994-96), Northeastern (special teams coordinator/linebackers, 1998) Colgate (graduate assistant, 1993) College: Rhode Island
MARWAN MAALOUF, ASSISTANT SPECIAL TEAMS
Season with Broncos: First Seasons in NFL: 16
Previous experience: Sains (special teams coach, 2024), Miami (special teams coach 202223), Vikings (special teams coordinator, 201920), Dolphins (special teams assistant 2013-18), Colts (special teams coordinator, 2012), Ravens (special teams assistant, 2008-11), Browns (special teams quality control, 2005-06), Rutgers (graduate assistant, 2002-03), Fordham (offensive line assistant, 2001), Baldwin-Wallace (assistant offensive line, 2000) College: Baldwin-Wallace Zach Line, special teams quality control
Season with Broncos: First Seasons in NFL: First
Previous experience: Oxford High School (head coach 2020-24).
College: Southern Methodist
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
SHAUN SNEE, DIRECTOR OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
Season with Broncos: third, first as director of
strength and conditioning Seasons in NFL: Three
Previous experience: Wisconsin (director of strength and conditioning 2021-22, assistant strength and conditioning 2015-20), Massachusetts (assistant strength and conditioning 2014), Pittsburgh (strength and conditioning graduate assistant 2012-13)
College: East Stroudsburg/California University of Pennsylvania
DAN DALRYMPLE, HEAD STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
Season with Broncos: Third Seasons in NFL: 18
Previous experience: Saints (strength and conditioning 2006-21), Miami (OH) (assistant athletic director/director of athletic coaching 2003-05, director of athletic conditioning 1989-2003).
College: Miami (OH)
KOREY JONES, STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSISTANT
Season with Broncos: Sixth Seasons in NFL: Six
Previous experience: Landow Performance (2015-20).
College: Wyoming
TAYLOR PORTER, STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSISTANT
Season with Broncos: First Seasons in NFL: Six
Previous experience: Oregon (associate strength and conditioning, 2024), Michigan State (strength and conditioning 2020-24), Jaguars (strength and conditioning associate 2019-20), Titans (strength and conditioning assistant, 2016-19)
College: Wisconsin-Oshkosh/Lousiville.
THE ASSOCiATEd prESS
broncos offensive run game coordinator coach Zach Strief, right, directs guard ben powers during a may 29 practice at the team’s headquarters in Englewood.
BRONCOS 2025 SEASON PREVIEW
MISSION: POSSIBLE
Carroll, Rodgers head a list of familiar faces in new places
The Associated Press
Aaron Rodgers joined Pittsburgh. Davante Adams went to Hollywood. Cooper Kupp is in Seattle. Russell Wilson’s latest stop is the Big Apple.
But the most veteran face in a new place this NFL season is 73-year-old Pete Carroll on the sideline in Las Vegas. Carroll is leading the Raiders after a one-year hiatus from coaching following 14 years with the Seahawks.
Rodgers and Wilson are the most notable quarterbacks who changed teams. Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, Justin Fields and Jameis Winston also found new homes.
Several star wide receivers joined Adams and Kupp on the move, including DK Metcalf, Deebo Samuel, Stefon Diggs and George Pickens.
On the defensive side, Super Bowl standouts Josh Sweat and Milton Williams cashed in after helping the Philadelphia Eagles dominate Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Teammate Darius Slay also moved on. Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick swapped teams. Jonathan Allen, Grady Jarrett, Joey Bosa, Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw are wearing new uniforms.
Here are 25 of the top players on new teams:
Aaron Rodgers
The four-time NFL MVP chose to extend his career with the Steelers after two disappointing seasons with the New York Jets. The 41-year-old Rodgers had the worst record of his career last season, going 5-12. But he still threw for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 90.5 passer rating. The Steelers and coach Mike Tomlin are hoping Rodgers has one more run in him to help them overcome their recent playoff failures.
Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston
The 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback is on his fourth team in five seasons. Wilson started 6-1 in Pittsburgh last year but the team lost five straight games to end the season. Wilson had 2,482 yards passing, 16 TDs, five picks and a 95.6 passer rating in 11 games in the regular season. He signed with the New York Giants, who also added Winston and then drafted QB Jaxson Dart in the first round.
Geno Smith
Carroll reunited with Smith in Las
raiders first-year head coach pete Carroll stands on the field before a preseason football game against the Seattle Seahawks on aug. 7 in Seattle.
Vegas following a trade with the Seahawks. Smith, a two-time Pro Bowl pick who rejuvenated his career in Seattle after replacing Wilson, gives the Raiders stability at QB.
Sam Darnold
After a breakout year in Minnesota, Darnold cashed in with the Seahawks in free agency. He threw for 4,319 yards, 35 TDs, 12 picks and a 102.5 passer rating while going 14-4 with the Vikings.
Justin Fields
The No. 11 overall pick in 2021 by Chicago showed promise in Pittsburgh, going 4-2 in six starts. He’ll get an opportunity to prove himself with the New York Jets.
Davante Adams
The three-time All-Pro went from Las Vegas to New York during last season and back to the West Coast with the Los Angeles Rams. Adams had 85 catches for 1,083 yards and eight TDs last season.
Cooper Kupp
The Seahawks traded Metcalf and signed Kupp, the 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP. Kupp hasn’t played a full season since ’21 but had 67 receptions for 710 yards
pHOtOS by tHe aSSOCiated preSS pittsburgh Steelers Qb aaron rodgers watches before a preseason football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on aug. 9 in Jacksonville, Fla.
2025 NFL MVP ODDS
1. QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens: +490
2. QB Josh Allen, Bills: +500
3. QB Joe Burrow, Bengals: +600
4. QB Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs: +600
5. QB Jayden Daniels, Commanders: +1000
Note: QB Bo Nix, Broncos: +6000
SOURCE: FANDUEL
and six TDs in 12 games in 2024.
DK Metcalf
Before Rodgers officially signed with the Steelers, they gave him a No. 1 receiver. The two-time Pro Bowl pick had 66 catches for 992 yards and five TDs in 15 games last season for Seattle.
Deebo Samuel
The Washington Commanders gave Jayden Daniels another playmaker, acquiring Samuel from San Francisco.
Stefon Diggs
Coming off a torn ACL, the four-time Pro Bowl wideout headed to New England to give Drake Maye a top option.
George Pickens
The Dallas Cowboys acquired the mercurial Pickens from Pittsburgh to team with CeeDee Lamb and bolster Dak Prescott’s options.
Laremy Tunsil
The Commanders got the five-time Pro Bowl left tackle from Houston to protect Daniels’ blind side.
Joe Thuney
A two-time All-Pro guard, Thuney was dealt from Kansas City to Chicago, which revamped its offensive line to better protect Caleb Williams.
Josh Sweat
Sweat turned 2 1/2 sacks in the Super Bowl into a $76.4 million deal from the Cardinals.
Milton Williams
After getting two sacks in the Super Bowl, Williams received a $104 million deal from the Patriots.
Darius Slay
The six-time Pro Bowl cornerback stayed in Pennsylvania, going from the Eagles to the Steelers.
Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jonnu Smith
Pittsburgh also boosted its coverage unit by trading for Ramsey, the threetime All-Pro cornerback. The Steelers sent Fitzpatrick, a three-time All-Pro safety, to Miami in the trade that also brought tight end Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh.
Jonathan Allen
After two Pro Bowl seasons in eight years in Washington, Allen signed with the Vikings to boost the interior of their defensive line.
Grady Jarrett
The two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle joined Chicago after 10 seasons in Atlanta.
Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw
An All-Pro safety in 2022, Hufanga left San Francisco for Denver. So did Greenlaw, the veteran linebacker.
Joey Bosa
The five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher signed with the Buffalo Bills after nine seasons with the Chargers.