Denver, CO
Broncos QB report card: A steady, sack-free first showing for Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson
INDIANAPOLIS — Sean Payton hates sacks.
He doesn’t just dislike them. The Broncos head coach cannot stand them.
Not only that, but he puts most of the blame for sacks on the quarterback rather than the offensive line.
It’s a major reason he grew frustrated with Russell Wilson a year ago — Wilson was sacked 45 times in 15 starts — and it’s one of the trends he’s liked in his quarterback group so far this summer.
The first preseason game Sunday at Indianapolis showed more of the same for Jarrett Stidham, Bo Nix and Zach Wilson. They combined to drop back 41 times against the Colts on Sunday afternoon and didn’t take a sack.
“It’s all about knowing where your outlets are, knowing when you’re hot, having a good feel for the pocket and it’s just being on time,” Nix said after Denver’s 34-30 win. “Being in rhythm, if your No. 1 or No. 2 isn’t there, get to No. 3 in a quick manner. I always say I feel like I can take a three(-step) drop, hitch and throw and get the ball out without them physically being able to get to me. It’s all about a quarterback’s timing and offensive line did a great job today keeping us up.”
The group finished 29-of-41 passing for 279 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Here’s a closer look at each’s outing, in order of appearance.
Jarrett Stidham
Possessions/snaps: 2/11
Stat line: 3-of-7 passing, 37 yards, interception
Drive results: Punt, interception
Highlight: Stidham hears “checkdown” taunts from defensive players in practice when he drops the ball off to backs and tight ends, but he played aggressive Sunday. The sixth-year QB hit Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick back-to-back for 27 total yards on his first two throws.
Lowlight: The interception, but it wasn’t Stidham’s fault. Samaje Perine had the ball hit him in the chest, pop up and then in an attempt to corral it, he batted it right to Colts safety Kenny Moore II.
Analysis: Stidham looked good but had four offensive penalties from veterans around him on his two drives and then got unlucky on the interception. He got a fraction of the snaps the other two got on this day. Sean Payton said afterward that will balance some next weekend against Green Bay. A question in the interim: Do Stidham and Bo Nix split reps with the No. 1s in the joint practice against the Packers? Or is it Nix the whole way from here out?
Bo Nix
Possessions/snaps: 5/36
Stat line: 15-of-21 passing, 125 yards, TD, three carries for 17 yards
Drive results: Field goal, touchdown, fumble, field goal, touchdown
Highlight: It looked like Nix’s opportunity to run the two-minute drill was wasted when Lucas Krull fumbled on the first play of a drive, but Denver got the ball right back after a Keidron Smith interception. Then Nix went to work, completing 4 of 6 passes for 41 yards plus a 29-yard defensive pass interference on a pass up the left side for rookie Devaughn Vele. The two-minute operation drew praise from head coach Sean Payton and veteran receiver Courtland Sutton.
Lowlight: The fumbled snap with Luke Wattenberg gets a red flag here for two reasons: One, Nix has had issues a handful of times through the first couple weeks of practice. Two, he hardly played from under center the past two years at Oregon. Payton expressed a willingness to tailor the offense to whoever gets the starting job — perhaps more shotgun and pistol are in the cards if Nix starts Week 1 — but you’ve got to be able to play from under center without worry about ball security.
Analysis: Nix continued on the path he’s been traveling through training camp. Some mistakes here and there. Ball placement that doesn’t completely abandon him but occasionally wavers just enough to make a difference. Overall, though, there’s no reason to be unimpressed with how Nix played. He was in rhythm, threw the ball down the field and showed the ability to play from the pocket or outside. A long way to go and a lot to learn, but arrow up.
Zach Wilson
Possessions/snaps: 5/32
Stat line: 10-of-13 passing, 117 yards, three carries for minus-1 yard
Drive results: Fumble, touchdown, punt, touchdown, end of game
Highlight: The best part of the outing for Wilson was just his ability to play efficiently and confidently. On a putaway drive late in the game, he found rookie running back Blake Watson up the right sideline for 33 yards.
Lowlight: It was a steady outing for Wilson, whose day got off to an unfortunate start when Audric Estime fumbled and the Colts returned it for a touchdown. No major issues, though. The biggest question, really, is if Wilson will get a real chance against non-fringe roster guys against Green Bay or Arizona.
Analysis: Wilson played against reserves, obviously, but if he continues to stack good days and play aggressive while limiting mistakes the rest of the preseason, the roster picture gets interesting in a hurry. The 2021 No. 2 overall pick clearly has talent and seems to be benefiting from the structure and stability in Denver’s offensive and quarterback meeting rooms. It’s too early to say he’s a transformed player, but the early returns on this project warrant further investment.
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Originally Published:
Denver, CO
Claimed by Christ, Free in Him: Archbishop Golka Celebrates First Juneteenth Mass in Denver
The annual archdiocesan celebration highlighted human dignity, Black Catholic faith and the healing power of Christ’s love.
“This is my first Juneteenth celebration as a priest or a bishop. I’m honored that this could be my first, right here,” Denver Archbishop James Golka said during the Mass commemorating Juneteenth at Curé d’Ars Parish in Denver on Sunday, June 14.
Celebrating the day the Emancipation Proclamation reached enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the United States. This year’s annual archdiocesan Mass, organized by the Office of Black Catholic Ministry and bringing together parishes and groups from across Northern Colorado, also served to welcome the recently arrived archbishop, who was warmly greeted with processions by the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary, liturgical participation by the Curé d’Ars youth group and choir, and additional music by the Queen of Peace African Catholic Society.
“You have a very beautiful church here. The building is okay, also,” Archbishop Golka remarked, noting the beauty of the people of God, the Church, amid laughter and applause.
Carolyne Richardson, member of the Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary at St. Ignatius of Loyola, was particularly touched by Golka’s quiet enthusiasm.
“The church was overflowing with diverse ethnicities joining in this celebration. Everyone was elated to meet Archbishop Golka. He seemed to look each parishioner in the eye with genuine care and concern,” she noted. “It was sheer jubilation watching him sing the gospel songs along with the choir.”
Recalling his time with fellow bishops at their annual spring meeting in Florida, the archbishop reflected on Pope Leo’s encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, and its discussion on the reality of slavery.
“Although there was not always consistency in practice — slavery was long tolerated before being unequivocally condemned — there has been a continuous affirmation throughout history of the dignity of every human being created in the image of God, even if it took eighteen centuries for the full incompatibility with slavery to be explicitly recognized,” the Holy Father wrote. “This constitutes a wound in Christian memory, one for which we cannot consider ourselves detached. It is impossible not to feel deep sorrow when contemplating the immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many in stark contrast to their immeasurable dignity as persons infinitely loved by the Lord” (Magnifica Humanitas 176).
“Finally, Pope Leo says this to you, to all of us,” the archbishop noted as he finished quoting the Holy Father’s encyclical. “‘For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon.”
(Photos by Matt Walker/Denver Catholic)
In his characteristically deeply pastoral way, Archbishop Golka offered the deep, personal love of Christ as a spiritual foundation and antidote to any and all attacks against humanity, be they in the form of slavery or the lurking dangers of artificial intelligence.
“At your Baptism, you were claimed by Jesus Christ. That’s our identity. The evil one tries to make us forget that. We forget that we are beloved children of God. We begin to think that maybe we are worthless, that there’s no reason why we’re here. That is a lie,” the archbishop emphasized. “When God created the universe, he had you in mind, to be here at this time, and this place for his purposes. And he wants to use you in everything. That means, he can use your weakness and your mistakes if you let him.”
The call to surrender more completely to the Lord of love, whose Sacred Heart burns in love for souls, resonated deeply with those in attendance.
“The Mass was more beautiful than I could have imagined,” said Kateri Williams, director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministry. “Archbishop Golka’s homily deeply touched those in attendance, and many were moved to tears as he spoke of the Father’s unconditional love and as he reminded us that each of us has a unique purpose and calling in God’s plan.”
Osahon “Osi” Ogbeide, one of several members of the Youth Ministry at Curé d’Ars who read the Prayers of the Faithful, was also taken by the seeming contradiction in Archbishop Golka’s homily.
“The homily focusing on being a slave and surrendering to the lord was very impactful because it reminded me that God wants the best for us. And that can only be achieved in surrendering to him,” he said.
As we continue to surrender to God and follow his plan, even when it surprises and confounds us, we participate in the Kingdom of God, the archbishop concluded.
“God’s purposes are much more immense than my plan. My plan is pretty puny,” Archbishop Golka said. “God’s purposes began with creation, and they’re going to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the Reign of God. We get to participate in the Reign of God coming, if you use God’s gifts for God and God’s purposes.”
Factors such as declining birth rates and families moving out of the city are contributing to declining enrollment at Denver Public Schools. In turn, it’s reshaping the district’s future.
“I think we’re in a good position, but it’s responsible for us to always be looking in the future and knowing we have to make some adjustments,” said Chuck Carpenter, the district’s CFO.
In a two-year span between this past school year and next, DPS expects a decline in enrollment of around 1,700 students.
“We haven’t really seen anything like this,” said Carpenter in response to the consistent decline.
Because of this trend, the district is facing a $28 million structural deficit over the next five years.
“We have a balanced budget now, and we’re not predicting that we’ll have an unbalanced budget in three years,” said Carpenter. “We’re saying we need to make adjustments over the next three, four years, so that our budgets are balanced.”
DPS’s Director of Campus Planning, Andrew Huber, told CBS Colorado in an interview last month that those adjustments will likely include closing down more schools.
“Additional school closures will be necessary in the upcoming years. When exactly that would be is hard to forecast right now,” said Huber.
The district’s CFO says his biggest takeaway from a recent round of closures is to make sure to give families options for what’s next.
“No one wants their school closed, but the second-best option isn’t going to be the same for every family,” said Carpenter.
This issue could be one Denver faces for years to come.
“We sort of say, how many kids are born here? Because in five years, those kids will be kindergartners,” Carpenter added.
The city’s birth rate peaked in 2005, meaning those babies have already graduated high school. And, according to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, more young families move out of Denver and into surrounding counties than move into the city.
“I think school consolidation is very — I understand why people want to talk about it, but I think it’s more about, like, how do we make sure that the programs that are offered are rich programs,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter also says the district is closely monitoring some potential cuts to federal grants for students of poverty and language learners. He says those decisions will be made by October for the start of the new fiscal year, and cuts would have a “terrible” impact.
The Denver Broncos hosted eight tryout players at mandatory minicamp this week, including quarterback Sawyer Robertson. It sounds like the team has made decisions on those tryout players, and Robertson won’t be signed (at least not right now).
Instead, the Broncos are signing offensive lineman Reid Holskey (according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler) and cornerback Blake Cotton (according to the Denver Post‘s Parker Gabriel). Holskey (6-6, 306 pounds) spent time on the Houston Texans’ practice squad in 2025 before joining the New York Giants in January. He was cut by New York last month. Cotton (6-2, 195 pounds) is a rookie who spent last fall at Utah, totaling 30 tackles and seven pass breakups in 13 games.
The two moves came one day after Denver wrapped up minicamp. The 91-man offseason roster was already full, so the Broncos will need to make corresponding moves to make room for Holskey and Cotton on the roster.
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