Denver, CO
Broncos HC Hints at Rookie Trio Taking Over Offense
While the Denver Broncos are one of the most inexperienced teams in the league, they might get even younger regarding their impact players. This was something that head coach Sean Payton emphasized in a press conference following their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, hinting at greater roles to come for multiple rookies.
“We have to see these guys. We are a young team,” Payton said. “We are not waiting to redshirt these guys. We will continue to see each week their involvement in the plan and how they fit. That is how you get confidence and get experience.”
Who are these rookies the Broncos plan to get more involved offensively? I’ll break each one down to determine why Payton is so confident in this crop of rookies impacting the game.
While Franklin has had a rookie season to forget early on, he might have turned the corner in the Week 6 matchup against the Chargers. While fourth-round rookie only had 31 receiving yards, he did haul in his first touchdown on a two-yard pass late in the fourth quarter from his old college quarterback, Bo Nix.
Broncos Country hopes this can snap Franklin into form and show the league why he and Nix connected for 23 touchdowns during their two seasons together at Oregon.
Vele came out of the gates hot to start his season. While he only had 39 receiving yards in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, he was targeted nine times and hauled in eight receptions.
Unfortunately, Vele suffered a rib injury that sidelined him in Week 2. Only last week did the Broncos finally get the seventh-round rookie back, and he did not disappoint, snagging four receptions on six targets for 78 yards, leading the team vs. the Chargers.
With the Broncos backfield showing some flashes here and there, they’ve ultimately disappointed, especially lead back Javonte Williams. With Estime returning from injured reserve, look for him to get every chance to secure the starting role and spell the ultimate end for Williams’ time in Denver.
The only thing that seems to be in the way of the fifth-round rookie getting the starting spot is Estime himself and his ability (or lack thereof) to hold on to the ball. If he can find a way to eliminate the fumbles, Payton has made it well known he intends to give him some playing time.
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Denver’s season has started relatively well at 3-3, considering the relative youth of the roster. The Broncos will need to continue to grow on the offensive side of the ball.
“I want to see this runner as well. I want to see Estime,” Payton said. “We are going to see Vele and we are going to see Franklin.”
Of the three players, Vele has shown the highest floor of the bunch, frequently being targeted in the games he’s appeared in thus far. Estime seems to have the most coaching support behind him to get significant playing time, and it will be up to him to hold on to the ball, which will decide his place on the depth chart.
Franklin is the most intriguing of the bunch. If he can continue to get comfortable with the NFL speed, he has the lightning quickness to impact the game like Desean Jackson once did. If not, Franklin will be joining the rest of the bench-warmers.
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BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — If you feel like we’ve had a lot of red flag days across Colorado since the start of the year, you’re right.
According to our Denver7 weather team, there have been 369 red flag warnings across the state since the start of 2026, marking the second-highest number recorded to date since 2005. In 2023, there were 408 red flag warnings from Jan. 1 through April 22 of that year, according to Denver7 meteorologist Danielle Grant
A red flag day happens when warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds combine to create critical fire weather conditions.
▶️ WATCH: Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio talked red flag fatigue with residents and officials
Colorado sees second-highest number of red flag days since 2005
In Boulder County, officials say the frequency of these warnings in their area is breaking records, too.
“We’ve had 21 thus far since the beginning of 2026, and that number is almost as many as we’ve had in the previous years combined, 2024 and 2025,” said Vinnie Montez, a spokesperson for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
Today’s Forecast
Fierce winds, high fire danger Thursday across the Denver metro, plains
With the high volume of alerts, Montez worries the frequent warnings will become white noise.
Denver7 asked him if there is some red flag fatigue in the community.
“When you see the same commercial come up over and over again, you’re kind of like, flip the channel, right? I think that can happen in what we’re messaging,” Montez said.
At Chautauqua Park in Boulder, residents are taking note of how often these days are happening.
“It’s almost every day,” Mac Whittington said.
Local
‘We’ve never seen this’: Rare fire danger grips Colorado mountain towns
Levi Brown, a Boulder resident, pointed out that all the ingredients for high fire danger are present.
“You look around, there’s a lot of fuel in the ground, a lot of wind blowing right now, in fact,” Brown said.
For Brown, who has lived in the area for 26 years, every warning carries weight.
“It seems to be more prevalent now. And I don’t take it lightly,” Brown said.
For those who do not take the days seriously, Whittington offered a word of caution.
“Hopefully we don’t have to learn the lesson the hard way,” he said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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DENVER (KDVR) — Denver police are investigating a hit-and-run crash involving a motorcycle on Tuesday evening.
The Denver Police Department reported that the crash also involved a motorist and happened at East 9th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.
The motorcyclist was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Police did not release any description of the suspect vehicle.
Denver police said drivers should expect delays in the area.
This is developing news.
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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
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