The Denver Broncos got a wake-up call in their second preseason game, and it arrived in a hurry.
With the starters on the field to open the home matchup against the Green Bay Packers, Denver hung around early. Both teams answered with touchdown and field goal drives, but once that opening stretch passed, the Packers took control and never really gave it back. What followed was a rough night for the Broncos’ backups, the kind of performance that leaves a bad taste even in August.
That’s what made the result sting more than a typical preseason loss. Denver has looked like a team with real depth, but that wasn’t the story here. The Broncos also saw their preseason win streak come to an end, and with one exhibition game left, the timing may actually work in their favor.
In some ways, the Broncos probably needed this. A loss like this can jolt a team out of its comfort zone and force a closer look at what needs cleaning up. The Broncos had not taken a hit like this in a while, and even the AFC Championship Game loss didn’t quite feel like the same kind of punch in the mouth because of how back and forth that one was.
Denver also absorbed a blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars near the end of the regular season, which snapped the team’s win streak. This one carries a different lesson, though. It doesn’t call for wholesale changes, but it does create a moment for the staff to reassess a few things before the games start to matter.
With the regular season about three weeks away, the Broncos now have a fresh reminder of how miserable losing can feel in 2026. That kind of night can linger with players, and it seemed to linger with Sean Payton too. The head coach sounded irritated during his media availability, which fit the tone of a sloppy game from top to bottom.
Nobody expected Denver to cruise through the rest of the preseason untouched. There are too many solid teams in the league for that. This loss won’t count once the regular season begins, but it does leave the Broncos with a sour taste they can try to rinse away against the Minnesota Vikings in their final preseason game and then in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Sean Payton Leaves Broncos Fans Waiting On J.K. Dobbins Decision
J.K. Dobbins sat out the Broncos preseason matchup with the Packers after a minor soft-tissue injury in training camp, leaving Sean Payton to navigate the backfield without one of the biggest offseason additions. In Dobbins absence, Denver leaned on its other runners, with RJ Harvey getting the start and also adding a touchdown catch to help carry the workload.
Payton said Dobbins could be in line to make his debut in the final preseason game against the Vikings, which gives Denver at least one more chance to see how the backfield pieces fit before the games start to count. For a Broncos offense still sorting out roles, Dobbins status is worth watching closely, especially with the team trying to balance caution now with the need to get him ready for the real thing. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos May Have A Davis Webb Problem If Bo Nix Takes Off
The Broncos built this offseason around Bo Nix, and the ripple effects have already shown up in the coaching staff. Denver added receiver Jaylen Waddle to help give the rookie quarterback more juice on the perimeter, then elevated Davis Webb to offensive coordinator with play-calling duties. Webb has handled the offense well in the preseason, and the early returns have only strengthened the sense that the Broncos are trying to create the kind of structure that can help Nix settle in quickly.
Davis Webbs rise, though, comes with the kind of long-term wrinkle Denver knows all too well. He is young, he has already shown an ability to organize the offense, and that combination can make a coach look like a future head-coaching candidate before long. The Broncos have lived through staff turnover before, and if Nix takes off the way they hope, Webb may not stay tucked away for long as the teams offensive brain trust starts drawing outside attention. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Roster Crunch Could Turn One Familiar Name Into A Trade Chip
The Broncos are in the middle of the kind of late-summer roster sorting that forces tough decisions on players who have been around the building and know the system, but still may not fit once the 53-man cutdown is done. Denver has to weigh depth, special teams value and future upside all at once, and that puts names like Franklin, McLaughlin and Skinner in the mix as the front office looks at who stays put and who might be exposed to waivers.
Franklin stands out because he carries the most trade value of that group, which gives Denver a little more flexibility if another team comes calling before the roster picture settles. McLaughlin and Skinner could also factor into the churn depending on how the Broncos prioritize their needs, but nothing has been finalized yet, and this is the kind of situation that can shift quickly as teams around the league make their own last-minute moves. [Read more 🡒]