The Denver Broncos opened training camp in 2026 with a gleaming new $175 million facility, but the bigger bill may be coming from inside the building. A few players are already forcing the issue with their play, and for a team that likes to draft, develop, and keep its own, that can only mean one thing: contract talk is coming sooner rather than later.
Three names stand out early: Riley Moss, Marvin Mims Jr., and Evan Engram. All three are giving the Broncos plenty to think about before camp even settles in.
Riley Moss has been one of the loudest stories in camp so far. By every indication, the cornerback is putting together the best stretch of any Broncos player right now, which is no small feat with so many strong reports pouring in.
One rep in particular jumped out when Moss wrestled a one-on-one deep ball away from Courtland Sutton for what would have been an interception. It was a free play, but it still counted as a strong win for Moss.
The debate around Moss has been intense over the last couple of seasons. He led the NFL in penalty yardage last year, though it was also clear he was getting targeted by officials.
At the same time, he tied for the league lead with 19 passes broken up and saw 118 targets come his way. Even with the flags piling up, his confidence never seemed to crack.
A third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Moss has developed well since arriving during the first year of the Sean Payton era. That alone makes it hard to imagine the Broncos simply letting the situation drift.
Jahdae Barron’s presence has complicated the conversation a bit because of his first-round draft status, but the Broncos have not opened up a true competition for Moss’s job this year, despite what many expected earlier in the offseason. If he keeps this up, a new deal starts to look less like a possibility and more like a natural next step.
Marvin Mims Jr. is making his own case on the offensive side. If there has been one player who has consistently flashed in camp, it’s the receiver, who seems to be turning every practice into another reminder of what he can do. The Broncos traded for Jaylen Waddle this offseason, which introduced some uncertainty about how much Mims might be used, but his camp performance could be pushing him toward the third-most snaps and targets at the position.
Mims has been stacking big plays day after day, showing the kind of hands and ball tracking that make him dangerous downfield. That deep-ball skill has always fit his profile as an elite return specialist, but what stands out now is how often he turns it into something bigger in key moments. So far, his name keeps surfacing for the right reasons.
There’s also a broader case for the Broncos to act sooner rather than later. Mims was the first draft pick ever made by GM George Paton and Sean Payton.
He has been an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in the return game, has the best hands on the team, and has been the Broncos’ most clutch offensive player over the last three seasons despite limited snaps and touches. At camp, he’s also been working through a more “diversified” route tree and seeing more pre-snap motion, which would mark a noticeable shift for Denver.
The logic is simple enough: if the Broncos still need him in the return game, and if they’re clearly trying to expand his role on offense, why wait until his price climbs? There’s already too much evidence of what he means to the team to just let him play out the contract and reach free agency next offseason.
Then there’s Evan Engram, who has quickly become a regular in the “winner” category during the opening days of camp. That matters because there was real skepticism about his fit and future after the disappointment of the 2025 season. Early on, though, he has looked more involved, and offensive coordinator Davis Webb appears to be one of his strongest backers.
Sean Payton made the challenge plain when asked about Engram and how he might be used.
“He’s one other piece where you’re trying to spread the ball around. Who’s going to earn those touches? Those have to be earned.”
Payton’s comments, via Broncos PR, came in response to a question about whether Webb had fresh ideas for Engram’s usage. Payton acknowledged that Webb is bringing some of that into the offense, but he also made it clear that Engram has to do his part with execution, ball security, and landmarks.
The door is open for Engram to make this thing interesting. He doesn’t need a new contract today, or even necessarily during the season, but if he keeps stacking strong days and answers Payton’s challenge, the Broncos may find themselves wanting him back for 2027.
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Broncos Camp Is Producing Surprise Names Fans Need To Watch
Training camp has a way of reshaping the conversation around the back end of a roster, and the Broncos have already found a few names worth tracking. Players who entered camp as long-shot depth options or bubble candidates have started drawing attention in an offense that looks different under new coordinator Davis Webb, with Jalen Mims among those seeing a more active role and making a case to stay in the mix.
The same theme has shown up elsewhere, where Butler, Austin, York, Bryant and Fresch have each managed to stand out in their own way. None of them can afford to relax as roster decisions get tighter, but that is exactly what makes this stretch of camp so interesting for Denver: the competition is not just sorting out the obvious starters, it is creating real pressure on the fringe spots and forcing the coaching staff to take a harder look at players who were easy to overlook in June. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Avoided A Bigger Jaylen Waddle Scare At The Right Time
Jaylen Waddles brief practice scare turned into the kind of update the Broncos could live with. The wide receiver was present during the session but did not fully participate, and Denver kept things lighter overall as the team managed workloads carefully. In a summer setting where any issue can sound worse than it is, the mood around Waddle appears more cautious than alarming.
Sean Payton indicated the concern is a strain, and the plan is to avoid pushing it into something more troublesome. The Broncos are expecting Waddle to be back at practice in the next few days, which should ease the tension around a player who is important enough to merit patience, especially this early in the process. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Nix Is Fueling A Broncos Dream Fans Can Finally Feel
Bo Nixs return to Broncos training camp has offered a reminder of why the organization still believes its long-term outlook can rise with him. Coming back from the broken ankle he sustained in the AFC Divisional Game, the quarterback is reportedly showing signs of progress in both his confidence and his command, and Albert Breers camp report painted a picture of a player settling back into the role Denver has been waiting for him to fully own. The Broncos have spent enough time searching for stability at the position to know how much that kind of development matters.
Breer also noted that Nixs arm strength appears to be trending in the right direction, and that growth is showing up in the way he is handling different kinds of throws as he works back into form. There is a clear sense that Denvers setup for 2026 could be promising if Nix keeps moving this way, especially with the coaching structure giving him room to continue developing as a leader. The important part now is whether that progress keeps building once the real pressure of the season returns. [Read more 🡒]