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.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.
Originally Published:
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.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
Sean Payton has seen enough. The Denver Broncos’ third practice of mandatory minicamp, which was set to happen on Thursday, has been canceled.
“Just schedule-wise, today will be our last day,” Payton said after Wednesday’s practice. “I just finished telling them that. It’s unusual because there’s a lot of packing, a little bit more than normal when you’re moving into another facility. So when we’re back here, we’ll be in the new building.”
The Broncos are moving into their new state-of-the-art facility, but the decision to cancel the final practice of the offseason was motivated primarily by what Payton has seen thus far and how the team is shaping up.
Thus concludes the Broncos’ offseason training program, which featured eight total practices as a team, four of which were open to the media. There was more on-field activity than that, including walkthrough practices unseen by the press, but in essence, we’re talking about eight sessions.
Some players have already begun to separate themselves in their respective competitions. Others have really popped, while some have failed to really stand out in any meaningful way.
By way of a Broncos stock report, let’s get to the biggest winners and losers of mandatory minicamp.
Winner: Bo Nix | QB
Nix finally returned to the practice field on Tuesday, the first day of minicamp. He was limited to individual drills only, but it was still great to see him out there.
On Day 2, though, Nix took another big step forward, participating in a 7-on-7 drill that included a highlight-reel touchdown pass to RJ Harvey. Just getting Nix back on the field was a big win for the Broncos, but seeing him progress over two days and look overall very sharp was more than a little encouraging.
Winner: Jaylen Waddle | WR
Waddle has been a lightning rod since the practices were opened to the media. He just looks different. That speed and explosiveness really add an element to the Broncos’ offense that has been lacking.
It’s been palpable. But arguably just as exciting is what Waddle’s teammates and coaches have been saying about him. Payton has called him a “force multiplier,” which is another way of saying that he makes everyone around him better.
Not that we really had reason to doubt it, but Waddle has been as advertised thus far, and then some.
Loser: Marvin Mims Jr. | WR
Mims is not listed as a loser because of any specific negative plays, like a dropped pass or a mental miscue. It’s just that, with other receivers, including Waddle, shining, generating buzz, and earning plaudits from Payton, Mims didn’t really.
Mims is a similar receiver type as Waddle, but the newcomer made it clear how much separation exists between them in practice. Now, Mims is still important to the Broncos, especially as a returner, and Payton did compliment his clutch gene and contributions in big games, but you have to wonder how he fits into the game plan on offense. That question still hasn’t been answered.
Winner: J.K. Dobbins | RB
Dobbins was his usually talkative self at minicamp, but the fact that he was healthy and out there doing his thing is a major win for the Broncos. It’s good to have him part of the daily process at Broncos HQ again because he’s one of those veterans that takes players under his wing, and elevates them.
Winner: Que Robinson | OLB
With the recent off-the-field drama the Broncos have dealt with, some extra attention was paid to the Broncos’ outside linebackers. Robinson, in particular, separated himself during minicamp.
His get-off is something else, and he was dispruptive during the Broncos’ team periods. Vance Joseph has said he views Robinson as a “future starter.” Pending Cooper’s situation, the future could be now, though Elliss will also have something to say about that.
Robinson had one heck of an offseason. I’m really looking forward to his second year.
Loser: Jonathon Cooper | OLB
After being arrested twice in the span of a week, the Broncos excused Cooper from mandatory minicamp. It would seem the Broncos want to create some distance from Cooper until his legal troubles are resolved, one way or another.
It’s a shame, in more ways than one. Beyond what legal ramifications might await Cooper, he’s very likely to be suspended by the NFL, and the Broncos releasing him at some point is not outside the bounds of the plausible. It’s a good thing that rush linebacker room is stacked.
Winner: Matt Henningsen | DL
None of these winners has been quite as surprising as Henningsen. He made a huge play on Day 1 of minicamp, tipping a Sam Ehlinger pass and returning it to the house.
Henningsen followed that up with another disruptive Day 2. He’s gone from being an after thought in the Broncos’ defensive line conversation to establishing himself as a bona fide threat for the roster.
Loser: Jahdae Barron | CB
Like Mims, Barron wasn’t bad during the offseason; he just didn’t pop, really, in any way. He broke up one pass on Day 2 of minicamp, but beyond that, there wasn’t much to see.
It will be interesting to see how Barron performs in training camp. We know the Broncos have high expectations for him, and a role on defense, even if as a depth piece, will be created for him, but I was hoping to see more signs of a Year-2 leap by now.
Winner: Jonah Coleman | RB
Another as-advertised player. Coleman has proven he’s ready for the NFL, which was partly what attracted the Broncos to him in the draft.
Coleman stood out in a major way at minicamp and made it clear that the Broncos have more than just a J.K. Dobbins insurance policy on their hands. Coleman is a force to be reckoned with.
Winner: Tyler Onyedim | DL
Like Coleman the Broncos’ first pick in the 2026 draft has looked NFL-ready. The Broncos still haven’t signed Onyedim, but that didn’t stop him from participating in the offseason program, which is a good harbinger.
Rocking the No. 98 jersey, it’s easy to mistake Onyedim for the guy he was drafted to replace: John Franklin-Myers. That’s especially true when the rookie is out there making plays like JFM. Onyedim has earned praise from his teammates, including the All-Pro Zach Allen.
Winner: Evan Engram | TE
Engram looked very good in minicamp this week. He looked like a big, athletic, smooth, explosive receiver, which is what he’s been in the NFL.
Engram wasn’t really all those things in his first year with the Broncos, but I’m hopeful that Year 2 will be different for the two-time Pro Bowler. He’s had a good summer.
Winner: Troy Franklin | WR
Franklin seems like the obvious No. 3 receiver in the pecking order. That doesn’t mean he’ll get the No. 3 snaps on an exclusive basis, though.
As the Broncos’ No. 2 last year, Franklin wasn’t able to fully live up to that, although he took some big steps forward in his second year. As the No. 3, it’s more his natural spot and that should allow him to continue to thrive in the offense, especially with the connection he has with Bo Nix dating back to Oregon.
Winner: Sam Ehlinger | QB
Ehlinger had a great offseason. He looked way more comfortable and far sharper in the offense in what is his second go-around in Payton’s offense.
Ehlinger was sharp this summer, and if he can continue to build on the foundation he’s created, it could create some uncomfortable conversations at Broncos HQ.
Loser: Jarrett Stidham | QB
Stidham has been less noteworthy this summer, but that doesn’t mean he’s been bad. In comparison to Ehlinger, though, Stidham wasn’t as good, which is curious, considering his standing as the team’s primary backup since 2023.
If Ehlinger ends up leapfrogging Stidham, what do the Broncos do? They’re holding a competition for QB2, and they have to be prepared for the possibility of Ehlinger winning it, especially after his strong summer.
If Ehlinger forces this issue, Stidham could become expendable. Stidham is very unlikely to be a cut candidate because of his contract, but as a trade piece? There’s a reason the rumor mill has been active on the Stidham topic this offseason. It’s something to watch.
Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Denver, CO1 minute agoDenver Public Schools’ decline in enrollment continues to reshape district
-
Seattle, WA6 minutes agoWoo twirls 7 scoreless innings in bounceback outing vs. Orioles
-
San Diego, CA13 minutes agoNASCAR makes history with inaugural Naval Base Coronado race
-
Milwaukee, WI16 minutes agoStolen Oak Creek couple’s car found by viewer dumped near Milwaukee apartment complex
-
Atlanta, GA21 minutes ago18 essential Atlanta restaurants, from neighborhood gems to MICHELIN-starred destinations
-
Minneapolis, MN28 minutes agoHmong in Minnesota: 50 Years of Resilience
-
Indianapolis, IN31 minutes ago1 critical after shooting on near east side of Indianapolis
-
Pittsburg, PA36 minutes agoSportsNet Pittsburgh parts ways with Penguins rinkside reporter Hailey Hunter after three seasons
