Denver, CO
Broncos Bring Back Two Key Free Agents for 2026
During the NFL Combine, we learned the Denver Broncos plan to tender exclusive rights free- agent running back Tyler Badie. Fast forward to Friday, and the Broncos are taking care of business with two other exclusive rights free agents.
9NEWS‘ Mike Klis broke the news that Denver will tender safety Devon Key and rush linebacker Dondrea Tillman. The ERFA tender is priced at $1.075 million for 2026.
“Per source, [the] Broncos have agreements to bring back exclusive rights free agent safety/All-Pro special teamer Devon Key and fellow ERFA OLB Dondrea Tillman, who had 4.0 sacks and 2 INTs (with impressive returns) last year,” Klis posted on X.
Most ERFA decisions are a matter of course, but not always. In the case of Key and Tillman, it’s a no-brainer.
Key’s Resume
Key set a new franchise record last season with 26 special-teams tackles, leading the league and garnering first-team All-Pro honors. It was the first All-Pro recognition of his young career. He became the first player in Broncos history to make the A.P. All-Pro Team as a special teamer.
Key also forced a fumble and appeared in all 17 regular-season games. Key’s new franchise record eclipsed Keith Burns’ long-held mark of 24 special-teams tackles (2000, 03). Key was snubbed in the Pro Bowl vote, but the A.P. helped offset that.
With P.J. Locke’s pending departure into unrestricted free agency, the Broncos could view Key as the natural safety to step into the No. 3 role behind Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones. Key is a very talented player, and he’s developed nicely since arriving on Denver’s practice squad back in 2022.
Tillman’s Path to Denver
Tillman arrived in Denver as a college free agent in 2024, technically, even though he’d been playing professional ball in the UFL. As a ‘rookie,’ he notched five sacks as a backup.
Last season, Tillman co-led the team with two interceptions, making a name for himself as a runner after the catch, picking up 59 return yards, including a long of 36. He finished his second NFL season with 41 tackles (13) solo, four sacks, three tackles for a loss, and three passes defensed.
Not bad for the No. 4 rush linebacker on the depth chart. Tillman and Jonah Elliss have served as the primary backups to Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, and they’ve done well to ensure that when the starters leave the field, the pass-rushing show goes on.
Tillman is only 27 years old and he has a bright NFL future ahead of him. After this season, he’ll be a restricted free agent. If he continues on his current trajectory, the Broncos might opt to re-sign him instead of tendering him, but that decision won’t be made for another year.
Tillman might become to expensive to keep, if he keeps it up.
About Jordan Jackson
Besides Badie, whom, again, the Broncos reportedly plan on tendering, defensive lineman Jordan Jackson is also an ERFA. Considering the price tag, Jordan might be the relatively rare exception and go un-tendered.
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Denver, CO
Arizona Cardinals will face Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix for 1st time
Broncos QB Bo Nix is one of an projected four quarterbacks the Cardinals have never faced previously.
The Arizona Cardinals will take on the Denver Broncos in Week 7, facing them at State Farm Stadium. The Broncos’ starting quarterback is Bo Nix.
It will be the first time that the Cardinals face Nix in a regular-season game.
Bo Nix through 2 NFL seasons
Nix enters this third NFL season. He has led the Broncos to the playoffs twice.
He is 24-10 as a starter and 1-1 in the playoffs.
Through two seasons, he has completed 64.8% of his passes for 7,706 yards, 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. He has rushed for nine touchdowns in two seasons.
Nix is one of four projected starting quarterbacks the Cardinals will face for the first time ever this season. The others are:
- Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
- Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
- Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Denver, CO
This Boulder farm dinner serves up midsummer Slavic vibes with James Beard-worthy fare
If you were a single Slavic pagan in ancient times, the path to finding true love was fairly straightforward and considerably more exciting than going on a blind date. All you had to do was weave a garland of wildflowers, grab your intended by the hand, hurl yourselves over the roaring flames of a bonfire, and plunge nude into the nearest body of water.
In other words, ancient midsummer festivals of romance were fairly high stakes.
While you likely won’t find anyone risking third-degree burns or stripping nude in Boulder this weekend, chef Bo Porytko is reviving similar energy for a sprawling 10-course fine-dining experience where feast-goers can party like it’s 900 A.D.
The Midsummer Farm Dinner takes place on Sunday at Esoterra Culinary Garden, 8985 Valmont Road, Boulder. The event will bring together a collective of 10 chefs from some of Denver’s buzziest restaurants — including Molotov, Somebody People, Hearth, Odell’s Bagel, Petit Chelou, Margot, Bear Leek, La Diabla and Rougarou — for a collaborative, long-table meal built around Esoterra’s summer produce. The outdoor feast will begin with arrivals at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $260.
Porytko, the chef behind Denver’s Molotov restaurant, said the dinner series was inspired by his heritage.
“In Ukrainian culture, we have something called Ivana Kupala, which dates back to ancient times,” Porytko said. “Basically, it’s their midsummer festivities that also act as a mating holiday.”
Don’t worry, coupling up is not required for this event.
“Midsummer is just kind of a fun time,” Porytko said. “It was a good way to harness these weird, culty vibes that kind of suit the farm setting.”
The ancient East Slavic festival of Kupala was celebrated on the evening of June 23-24.
For guests wondering how that ancient atmosphere translates to a modern dinner on a 100-acre Boulder property, the evening starts on a hospitable note. Guests arrive for James Beard-recognized cocktails mixed by the team from Denver’s Yacht Club. From there, diners have time to explore the farm.
“The way the actual event begins is people come to the farm and get about an hour with welcome cocktails,” Porytko said. “Then you’re supposed to wander, check out the space, take in the farm, and there’s a little bit of education too.”
Attendees are asked to arrive dressed entirely in white. An LED flower wreath will be placed at each setting around a massive table built for 100 people. A maypole will be erected nearby, and a live DJ will guide the evening’s soundtrack. The music will begin to vibe with standard dinner fare before veering into unexpected territory.
“The DJ will play normal music, but then take, for example, a Kelly Clarkson song and turn down the beats per minute so she sounds like she’s speaking in Viking tones,” Porytko said, adding that the DJ will also mix in random Gregorian chants to fit the scene.
As the wine flows, the initial formality of the long table quickly disappears. Porytko said guests naturally start getting up, making friends and moving around the property after a few courses.
“After 10 courses and eight glasses of wine, people just kind of take it in whatever direction they want,” Porytko said.
To translate those festive vibes into an actual 10-course meal, the participating chefs rely on a highly democratic planning process. Justin Freeman, the executive chef of Somebody People in Denver, will help coordinate the logistics, beginning with a digital inventory of whatever Esoterra is currently pulling from the soil.
“There’s a Google Doc that we all use,” Freeman said. “We just ask the owner of Esoterra — Mark DeRespinis — what he’s growing, and then everyone signs up for what ingredients they want to cook with. We really just try to showcase what Mark has.”
Chefs look over the active list, claim the specific vegetables they want to work with and design a dish around them. Freeman then steps in to help arrange the final layout of the courses. He said the event has become an ongoing annual collaboration to give a little praise to the people who are doing all the hard work — the farmers.
The resulting menu leans heavily into hyper-seasonal creativity, starting with Porytko’s own intricate contribution.
“The idea is to highlight items from the farm,” Porytko said. “For me, I’m highlighting their beets, their Badger Flame beets.”
Porytko is preparing a guinea hen roulade cured in the juice of the Badger Flame beets and stuffed with a chocolate mint mousseline. The dish will be served with a beet mole, a gummied Badger Flame beet and traditional roasted beets.
The rest of the collective will showcase the farm’s harvest through a variety of distinct culinary styles. Freeman is serving grilled fennel with a creamy pistachio sauce, pickled celtuce and seasoned breadcrumbs. Andrew Van Stee of Hearth is contributing Moroccan pistachio carrot rolls, while Miles Odell of Odell’s Bagel is pairing dry-aged ocean trout with a coconut pea puree. Justin Fulton of Margot is preparing charred cucumbers with agretti, coconut broth and yuzu kosho, and Rema Maaliki and Harrison Porter of Bear Leek are bringing braised leeks with leek soubise, albufera and crispy leeks. The lineup also features plates from James Beard chef finalist José Avila of La Diabla, JohnDavid Wright of Rougarou and pastry work by Ali Spahr of Hearth .
The actual preparation happens entirely outdoors. The chefs arrive early in the morning to set up tables, tents and their own Japanese konro grills packed with binchotan charcoal.
“It all happens out in the field, in the middle of Mark’s gardens,” Freeman said. “We set up that morning. We’ll set up the tables, the tents, everything. Then we do all the cooking in front of everyone.”
Diners can stand right by the workspace and watch the dishes come together. For the chefs, the open-air format offers a rare chance to step away from their respective restaurant kitchens and collaborate directly with their fellows.
“For us, as chefs, we just don’t get to see each other very often, so it’s really fun and special when we do,” Porytko said. “We definitely have our own little hangout in the kitchen area with all the chefs, you know — all the weirdos in the corner.”
Freeman echoed the sentiment, noting the benefit of the format for the guests as well.
“With this one, you’re getting 10 different chefs with 10 different views all coming together under one roof,” Freeman said.
Cooking in an open field does, however, mean operating at the whim of Colorado’s summer elements. Freeman recalled a previous year when a sudden onset of mountain weather forced the culinary crew to quickly shift from grilling to structural defense.
“The first year we had a little bit of rain at the start of it,” Freeman said. “Then the wind was crazy, where we all had to come and grab the tent so it didn’t blow away.”
Hopefully, on Sunday, the weather will remain tame, but guests should prepare for whatever Mother Nature has to throw at them, just in case.
The event takes place on Sunday, with arrival at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. The location is Esoterra Culinary Garden, 8985 Valmont Road, Boulder. Tickets start at $260 and are available through Tock.
Denver, CO
Denver Broncos Roster Breakdown: Center—The Depth Question
A year ago, the Denver Broncos had some questions about the future of their center position. However, during the bye, the Broncos answered those questions by extending one their starter.
Even with that extension, the Broncos still have some questions about the position’s future, partly due to the structure of the deal they granted and the position’s depth.
Our last installment in this positional series was at offensive guard, where the Broncos are very strong and deep. As we continue breaking down each position on the Broncos’ roster ahead of training camp, let’s examine where things stand at center.
Starter
Luke Wattenberg
Wattenberg is the starter and will remain so after the big extension Denver gave him in November 2025. Before the extension, his play was solid, but afterward, he looked like a top 10 center in the NFL — then he suffered a shoulder injury.
Wattenberg’s long-term place with the Broncos will depend entirely on his play, as his four-year, $48 million deal is structured so that Denver can get out of it after the 2027 season. It’s essentially a two-year deal for about $25 million.
If Wattenberg isn’t cutting it or can’t stay healthy, the Broncos could move on and save themselves $23 million. He’s missed six games to injury since becoming the starter in 2024, so the Broncos’ depth could be tested with Wattenberg as the guy.
Backup
Alex Forsyth
The backup spot is held by Forsyth, a solid run blocker who struggles in pass protection. He has seen the field some over the last two years. When Forsyth stepped in for Wattenberg late last season, he looked much the same as he did in the same role in 2024.
There are still questions about Forsyth, not only with his play but also with the fact that he is entering the final year of his rookie deal as a 2023 seventh-round draft pick. Denver could be looking for a new backup center after this season, as he could decide he wants a chance to start elsewhere and walk in free agency, especially with six career starts on his resume.
Wattenberg will be the starter for 2026 and 2027, so long as he avoids the injury bug. He hasn’t been able to stay on the field since taking over for Lloyd Cushenberry III as the starter in 2024, so if the best predictor of future outcomes is past outcomes, the Broncos had better be prepared for Forsyth to see the field at some point in 2026.
The Others
Gavin Ortega and Michael Deiter
Oretega is an undrafted rookie the Broncos brought in, and he has a chance to compete for a practice squad spot. The Broncos brought Deiter in last year after injuries to Wattenberg and Forsyth.
There isn’t a spot for either of these players on the 53-man roster, barring preseason injuries, and it can be tough to keep two centers on the practice squad, even if the players have guard versatility.
The Takeaway
While the Broncos have the starting job locked up with Wattenberg for the next two years, their depth is still questionable. Forsyth hasn’t shown the development you want to see, and will be a free agent after this season.
Denver could find itself looking for a center in the 2027 NFL draft to develop in case Wattenberg’s play drops off, or if he isn’t able to sustain the high level of play he displayed after getting his extension late last year.
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