5 takeaways from Broncos’ final practice before preseason opener

By admin — In News — August 12, 2026

   ​The Denver Broncos are set to kick off preseason on Friday evening after wrapping up Day 11 of training camp practice on Wednesday. Following practice, coach Sean Payton announced that backup center Michael Deiter suffered a season-ending quad injury on Tuesday. With Luke Wattenberg (unknown) and Alex Forsyth (unknown) already sidelined, Denver’s down to Calvin Throckmorton and undrafted rookie Gavin Ortega at center. Other potential options who could fill in at that spot include guard Quinn Meinerz and fourth-round draft pick Kage Casey.The Broncos will travel to Georgia on Thursday ahead of Friday’s preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons. Before that road trip, here are five quick takeaways after Wednesday’s practice.5 Broncos takeaways from training camp 1. Broncos injury report: Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (strain), receiver Marvin Mims (unknown), offensive lineman Alex Palczewski (unknown), tight end Nate Adkins (unknown), outside linebacker Dasan McCullough (unknown) and linebacker Jordan Turner (unknown) worked on a side field with Wattenberg and Forsyth on Wednesday, while receiver Michael Bandy (unknown) and tight end Caleb Lohner (knee) were not spotted at practice.2. Bo Nix won’t play: Payton said quarterback Bo Nix won’t play in Atlanta (on artificial turf). Nix will get reps in the team’s two home preseason games on natural grass later this month. Nix is still expected to make the trip, and Payton said the QB would have played if it was a regular season game. With Nix held out, Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger will each play a half against the Falcons.3. Broncos starters will play 10-15 snaps: Besides Nix, the team’s other healthy starters will play about 10-15 snaps in Atlanta, Payton said. The key word is healthy starters. Denver has a growing list of banged-up players, and Payton indicated that many of the recovering players won’t even make the trip to Georgia. Payton did not specifically mention players by name, but one would imagine Waddle and Mims could be in the not-traveling group as they focus on recovery.4. Broncos release first depth chart: With Denver’s first preseason game on deck this week, the team was required to release their first depth chart of the summer. The Broncos call it an “unofficial” depth chart, so it should be taken with a grain of salt, but there are a few takeaways of note. Such as: Malcolm Roach is listed as a starting defensive end, suggesting he’s first in line to replace John Franklin-Myers. Mims is also listed as the No. 3 starting receiver, above Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin. 5. Safety works out for Broncos: Denver brought in Taylor Rapp for a tryout on Wednesday. If healthy, Rapp could provide a huge boost to the team’s safety depth. Rapp has 72 career starts and 12 interceptions on his résumé, and the Broncos will have an open roster spot after Deiter is placed on injured reserve. If signed, Rapp would join Devon Key, JL Skinner, Tycen Anderson, Miles Scott and Parker Robertson  

Content Source: Yahoo News

Image Credit: Getty Images

All rights to the news content and images belong to their respective copyright owners.