The Denver Broncos have announced their list of six inactive players for a Monday Night Football showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1.
Broncos quarterback Sam Ehlinger, running back Tyler Badie, offensive lineman Kage Casey, tight end Dallen Bentley, defensive end Jordan Jackson and defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim are inactive tonight. With the exception of Ehlinger, those players won't suit up for the game. Ehlinger will still dress as the team's emergency third-string quarterback.
With Badie inactive, rookie running back Jonah Coleman is set to make his NFL debut as the club's RB3 behind J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey.
All of Denver's inactive players are healthy scratches. The only player on the team's injury report this week was wide receiver Marvin Mims (foot), and he has been cleared to play.
QB Sam Ehlinger

#inactive #players #tyler

On Saturday, Arch Manning opened the Texas football season on a positive note.
Manning completed 74.1% of his passes while throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns in a 59-7 win over Texas State. The senior's 305 yards were the most for a Texas quarterback in a season opener since Sam Ehlinger's 426-yard, five-touchdown outburst against UTEP in 2020.
Manning was intercepted once. He also took one sack.
Texas Longhorns running back Hollywood Smothers (2) runs the ball 45 yards in the first quarter the Longhorns' game against the Texas State Bobcats at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin, Sept. 5, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman)
MORE: Arch Manning may not talk much publicly but he's found his voice as Texas' leader

#manning #utep

The Denver Broncos' initial 53-man roster came down to the wire, having cut down from 91 players to 53 on Sunday afternoon. There were several surprises from the initial roster, from cutting fan-favorite draft picks to veteran playmakers. We take a more in-depth look at the winners and losers from the first iteration of the 53-man roster.
Ehlinger made a push for the backup quarterback position against Jarrett Stidham this summer. Stidham ended up starting two of Denver's preseason contests, giving him a leg up on Ehlinger. What sealed Ehlinger's spot on the 53-man roster was his performance on Friday against the Minnesota Vikings. Ehlinger went 15-of-20 for 233 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. General manager George Paton said that the team "didn't want to lose him" after a very competitive summer.
McLaughlin was the "last decision we made," according to Paton in a post-cut presser. The writing began to be on the wall when the Broncos put McLaughlin on the practice squad in 2025. McLaughlin became expendable when the Broncos drafted Jonah Coleman in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Conversely, Badie was named to the 53-man roster ahead of McLaughlin. Badie struggled in the preseason, but was one of those players who coach Sean Payton apparently couldn't live without. Badie saw action in 15 of Denver's games, so the trust is there. The fact that Badie made the roster in place of McLaughlin tells a story of the skill set difference between the players.
"Mr. Irrelevant" showed his potential throughout the preseason, making tackles and even forcing a fumble. One could have made a strong case for Murdock, who played his ***** off in camp and the preseason. He was calling plays for Vance Joseph's defense and was one of the biggest surprises of the entire cut process. Hopefully Murdock clears waivers and will be on the practice squad. He was a likeable player, with an even better story.

#made #players #paton

In the final quarter of the Denver Broncos' 34-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Broncos rookie tight end Justin Joly reeled in an 88-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Sam Ehlinger to put an exclamation point on Friday night's win.
If you think that's the only story here, that's just the surface of what happened. We at Broncos Wire aren't joking: Joly was so wide open, you could have driven several 18-wheelers through the amount of ****** e he had around him. A Vikings safety passed Joly off to the green grass behind him in a total coverage bust, and Joly literally could have jogged into the end zone for the score.
Broncos Twitter had a complete field day when they reacted to Joly's first NFL score. Check out some of the responses below.
It's safe to say that there may not be an easier touchdown this season, preseason or regular season. This touchdown also serves as Joly's 'Welcome to the NFL' moment. Now, Joly awaits his fate on the Broncos' official 53-man roster, which will be finalized on Sunday.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

#Broncos #season

The Denver Broncos wrapped up preseason action with a 34-6 blowout win over the Minnesota Vikings on Friday night.
Broncos quarterback Sam Ehlinger overcame an early interception in the second quarter to finish 15-of-20 for 233 yards and three touchdowns on the night in the win. The Denver defense also balled out, with a second-half goal-line stand and a forced fumble late in the game, courtesy of "Mr. Irrelevant" Red Murdock, keeping the Minnesota offense out of the end zone throughout the game.
Check out the highlights of the game below.
The Broncos now turn their attention to looming roster cuts from a 91-man roster to the 53-player finalized lineup by 4:00 pm on Sunday afternoon.
We will have all the latest news on cuts and practice squad updates here on Broncos Wire.

#Broncos #roster

The Denver Broncos are expected to roll with Jarrett Stidham as their starting quarterback in Friday night's preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings, which could signal the end of the backup quarterback competition.
Starting quarterback Bo Nix is not expected to play, which leaves Stidham and Sam Ehlinger to handle the quarterback duties for the entire game. Regardless of how the Broncos split up the reps, if this were still a legitimate competition, Ehlinger would likely get the start since he has yet to start a game in the preseason.
It seems likely that the team has already made up its mind.
#Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham likely to start Friday night, per source, but expect a big dose of Sam Ehlinger. Game flow matters, but Ehlinger is in line to see potentially most of the overall work.

Stidham played five series to Ehlinger's 1-plus last week.
Even if Ehlinger gets the majority of the work against the Vikings, that could just be the Broncos allowing him to audition for another team. If he doesn't end up on the active roster as the third-string quarterback, Ehlinger will presumably be a top target for Denver's practice squad.

#jarrett #Friday

After a dominant win over the Atlanta Falcons last Friday, the Denver Broncos will hit the field for their second preseason game on Friday night. This time, they will be in the friendly confines of Empower Field to welcome in the Green Bay Packers.
With the preseason slowly ticking away, we are inching closer to the kickoff of the regular season. But that also means the end of the road — at least in terms of being on the 53-man roster — for several members of the current team.
Many of the decisions have been made as far as which players will help make up the team in Denver this year, but there is still time for players to give a strong impression and, at the very least, make cutting them that much more difficult.
On Friday night, fans should keep a lookful eye for these players, who need to make a strong impression before it's too late.
The Broncos stated that the team would hold a competition for the backup quarterback job between Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger this summer. Many Broncos fans felt that Ehlinger could win that competition based on the poor performance Stidham had in last year's AFC Championship game.

#Broncos #make #denver #ehlinger

Karl Mecklenburg originally shared this post on his social media pages, and it was re-shared here with permission.
The Broncos' first-preseason game went well. They beat Atlanta in a quiet and mostly empty stadium. Quarterback Jerrett Stidham bounced back from his disastrous AFC Championship appearance and had a good showing with the Broncos' first-team offense. The Broncos' offensive line gave him great protection and Stidham threw the ball well. The Broncos defense got some turnovers and controlled the game throughout. Rookie players who stood out to me were undrafted free agent wide receiver Joseph Manjack IV and 4th round running back Jonah Coleman. I was also impressed with Davis Webb calling the plays. Not only was the Atlanta defense off balance but Denver didn't have to waste any timeouts due to communication problems.
Sam Ehlinger, the other quarterback fighting for a position behind Bo Nix, didn't play as well. He didn't have the advantage of playing with the starters last Friday and it showed. Hopefully this Friday we will see Bo Nix quarterbacking the first-string group with Ehlinger getting some time with the first team line, backs, and receivers as well.
Last Friday was the [eighth] preseason win in a row for the Broncos. Preseason wins don't count for qualifying for the playoffs, but winning becomes a habit. When a team prepares to win, and expects to win, they play to win. The veterans set the tone. They were engaged on the sidelines, encouraging the backups, and congratulating them for big plays and scores. When veterans in any business are engaged and supportive of newcomers it makes a huge difference.
This Friday the Green Bay Packers will be in Denver to play the Broncos. The stadium won't be quiet or half empty like it was in Atlanta. I would expect the healthy first-string players to play for the first half, and maybe one series into the second half. Playing one series into the second half would allow them to work on making half time adjustments with play caller Davis Webb, like they will in the regular season. With the preseason goals of identifying talent, staying healthy, growing as a team, and always playing to win, this Friday's game should be fun. Go Broncos!

#play #well #playing

The Denver Broncos came out of the preseason gates on Friday night with a head full of steam before proceeding to steamroll the Atlanta Falcons. The Broncos opened the exhibition season with a 27-7 road win, looking every bit like the Super Bowl contenders many expect them to be.
Jarrett Stidham got the start for the Broncos and looked terrific in the process, showing no signs that he is even close to losing his job as Bo Nix's primary backup. That news may not sit well in the minds of many Broncos fans who are still upset over the way Stidham performed in last year's AFC Championship game.
However, if Stidham was going to lose his job as the team's backup quarterback because of that game, that move should have already happened. Instead, Sam Ehlinger has had the door open for his chance to play his way into that job, or so we've been led to believe.
Whether this is a close competition or not is up for discussion, as some believe coach Sean Payton is just showing the league what he has in Ehlinger in an effort to earn some kind of compensation for him from a quarterback-needy team, and that he doesn't actually have much chance of wresting the job away from Stidham.
Stidham showed strong command of the offense in this game. He completed nine of his 15 pass attempts for 131 yards and one touchdown. On the scoring play, he evaded the pass rush and made a good decision to find Jaleel McLaughlin for a 5-yard touchdown pass.

#Broncos #pass #many #showing

The Denver Broncos had a mostly positive preseason opening win over the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night. The team committed too many penalties and the special teams had some gaffes, but the team still earned a 27-7 road win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Bo Nix sat this one out while Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger took their quarterback competition to the next stage. But the team used many of its rookies in this game, looking to get a further look at some of the new blood in orange and blue.
Here, we will grade the performance of many of those first-year players.
Jonah Coleman, RB
Jonah Coleman is the rookie Broncos fans are going to be talking about the most following this win, mostly wondering if the team can afford to give him a small role in 2026. While that may not even be in the plans, Coleman made the most of his four carries on Friday night, gaining 24 yards and making an early case for a bigger role than most would have initially thought. Check out this run:

#atlanta #falcons #jonah

Friday's preseason opener between the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons offers an early look at two teams with playoff aspirations, but much of the attention in Atlanta will be on the players competing for larger roles before Week 1.
Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Sam Ehlinger (4) scrambles out of the pocket against New Orleans Saints safety Ugo Amadi (0) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
When: Friday, August 14, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
TV Channel: NBC, ESPN+

#denver #saints

The Denver Broncos released their first depth chart of 2026 on Wednesday, as is mandated by the NFL.
The league requires clubs to publish a depth chart before their first preseason game, but many teams (including the Broncos) call it an "unofficial" depth chart, so it should be taken with a grain of salt.
Still, it's the first depth chart we have received from the team this summer, so it's worth discussing. Denver coach Sean Payton, as usual, has rookies at the back of the line as they have to prove themselves before climbing the depth chart. Let's jump into a few quick takeaways.
1. Jarrett Stidham is listed as QB2: Stidham, who has served as Denver's backup quarterback since 2023, is facing competition from Sam Ehlinger this summer. Ehlinger has gotten some reps with the second-team offense at training camp, but he's still listed as QB3 going into preseason.
2. Marvin Mims is WR3: Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle are listed as the two starting wide receivers, and Marvin Mims is listed as a third starting receiver. Pat Bryant is listed as the backup behind Sutton, Troy Franklin is behind Mims and Lil'Jordan Humphrey is listed after Waddle.

#stidham

The Denver Broncos are going into training camp with the same three quarterbacks they rostered last season. Time will tell if that remains the case when the regular season arrives in September.
There were rumblings this spring that the team could look to trade Jarrett Stidham. Such a trade hasn't happened yet, but a trade scenario can't be ruled out as we approach preseason.
For now, Stidham is competing with Sam Ehlinger for the QB2 job behind starter Bo Nix. Ehlinger showed great loyalty to the club last season, turning down active-roster offers from three NFL teams in 2025. If the Broncos eventually do trade Stidham, they could reward Ehlinger's loyalty by promoting him to QB2. Or he could simply win the backup job this summer, which would demote Stidham to QB3.
QB1: Bo Nix
QB2: Jarrett Stidham

#three #loyalty

Denver Broncos tight end Lucas Krull was seen running routes at the annual Tight End University workouts featuring some of the best tight ends from around the NFL last week, according to video posted to Instagram.
Krull was the only Broncos attendee spotted at the workouts, which came just after he participated in workouts with Broncos quarterbacks Bo Nix and Sam Ehlinger in Austin, Texas.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and now-Fox Sports broadcaster Greg Olsen are the hosts for TEU, which took place in Nashville, Tennessee.
"TEU brings together tight ends from across the league for a three-day program focused on development and collaboration," read an article from 49ers' team digital editor Brooke Evans. Check out Evans' article here for more pictures and highlights of the camp.
Check out a video of Krull catching passes below.

The Denver Broncos made eight roster moves around mandatory minicamp last week, and the 91-man offseason roster now appears to be set going into the summer.
With the squad seemingly prepped for training camp next month, now's a good time to take a look at our updated depth chart for the Broncos.
Note that this depth chart is a projection, not an official depth chart from the team. Denver is not required to release an official depth chart until preseason games begin in August (view the preseason schedule). With that understood, let's jump into the projection.
QB1: Bo Nix
QB2: Jarrett Stidham OR Sam Ehlinger

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are back on the football field for the first time since losing the AFC championship game to New England with Bo Nix watching from a suite with his surgically repaired right ankle in a cast.
Nix is still sidelined following a second procedure on his right ankle but he was on the field Thursday, throwing some passes but mostly watching backups Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger incorporate offseason acquisition Jaylen Waddle into the offense.
“He's had a good week,” coach Sean Payton said of Waddle, the speedy receiver the Broncos acquired in a trade with the Miami Dolphins this spring. “He's someone who picks things up real quick. He had a real good day yesterday and you can just feel his instincts and his quickness and his ability to not only run fast but to stop fast.”
Waddle is expected to work with Nix by the time the Broncos hold their minicamp in two weeks.
“I mean, you don't see (Nix) in pre-practice, but he's been throwing and I do think in our third week .... you'll see more of a role,” Payton said.

One Veteran Free Agent the Broncos Must Sign Immediately After the NFL Draft

In this story:
The 2026 NFL draft is in the books, and the Denver Broncos came away with seven selections. Denver filled many future needs and fleshed out the depth chart entering the summer.
The Broncos did not select or sign a quarterback from the undrafted ranks, but only a few days after the draft ended, they suddenly need one. We learned on Tuesday that franchise quarterback Bo Nix likely won't be available for the Broncos' voluntary workouts or their mandatory minicamp in June, as the team expected.
Nix recently underwent a "cleanup" procedure on the ankle he fractured in the Broncos' 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills back in January. The Broncos' public messaging in the months since Nix's injury had been that he'll be ready to go by OTAs, but it doesn't appear he'll be available until training camp in late July.
With Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger on the roster, the Broncos suddenly need a quarterback, and I'm not talking about a high-profile starter, like Aaron Rodgers; I'm talking about a third-stringer who can be a camp arm this spring.

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