The Broncos came out of their first six games at 4-2, and that alone says plenty about how they’ve handled a brutal opening stretch. Now, after the overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks gave Denver a three-day mini-bye, the team turns to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7 with a chance to reset.
A few defenders have especially benefited from the injuries around them. Jahdae Barron has been one of the clearest winners.
With Patrick Surtain II missing the past two-plus games, Barron has helped steady the Broncos’ passing defense. He has allowed completions, sure, but he’s been physical in coverage and stubborn at the catch point.
Just as important, he has tackled well, which matters for a Denver defense that co-leads the NFL in missed tackles. The talk about Barron as a “bust” this summer looks flat-out outdated now.
He’s playing to his first-round billing.
Kris Abrams-Draine has also been pushed into a bigger role with Riley Moss out. Moss was active and played 20 snaps last week, but Abrams-Draine still handled most of the workload, including assignments against Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp.
His fourth-quarter interception against Seattle stood out as a defining moment, the kind of play that shows real confidence in coverage. The tackling is still a work in progress, though that’s not exactly new for him.
Denver also found unexpected help at safety from Sam Rapp. He remains on the practice squad, but with Talanoa Hufanga sidelined by injury, Rapp stepped in and played 65 of the 85 defensive snaps against the Seahawks.
He was effective, finishing with six tackles and looking comfortable alongside Jones while helping limit JSN and Kupp. The Broncos appear to have a useful No. 3 safety on their hands, but once Hufanga returns, they’ll likely need to make room for Rapp on the 53-man roster, which would probably mean moving on from JL Skinner or Tycen Anderson.
On the edge, Eyioma Robinson has kept climbing. He tied for the team lead with six QB pressures against Seattle and recorded his second sack of the season.
With Jonathon Cooper back and Jonah Elliss dealing with what could be a severe leg injury, Robinson’s role should stay the same. He’s been one of Denver’s best surprise contributors of 2026.
Bo Nix remains the biggest story, even after Sean Payton made clear on Monday that the quarterback still has the starting job. The noise around his slump has only grown, but the Broncos believe the ankle injury he suffered in the playoffs last season is still bothering him mentally, even if they say it has healed physically. With the toughest part of the schedule behind them, Denver is hoping the third-year quarterback can start looking more like the dynamic player he was before January.
Not everyone is trending in the right direction. J.K.
Dobbins has been fed plenty of touches lately, but the production hasn’t followed. He has looked indecisive and short on burst, even after scoring his first and second touchdowns of the season over the last two weeks.
For now, he has not offered much as an inside runner.
Courtland Sutton is also sliding toward a career-worst season. The passing game has been messy, and Nix’s struggles are a major reason, but Sutton hasn’t helped himself.
He’s not winning at the catch point the way he usually does, and he’s not getting separation as a route-runner. That has raised questions about whether age is starting to catch up to him.
Then there’s the broader issue with the receiving corps. The source of the concern isn’t a mystery: “I get it. Wide receiver is a quarterback-dependent position, but Waddle's impact could already be much greater than it's been.”
He’s also been dropping too many passes, and the body language is becoming an issue too. The Broncos need the entire group to get behind Nix as he works through his slump, and for Waddle, that means answering when his opportunities come. Payton is expected to open things up more moving forward, and that should help.
In Other News...
Broncos Defense Gets A Timely Boost Before Arizona Test
The Broncos are getting a much-needed defensive lift at just the right time as they prepare for Arizona. Pat Surtain II has returned to full practice after an ankle injury, and his presence gives Denver a stabilizing force on the back end as the matchup with the Cardinals approaches.
Jonathon Cooper is also back in the mix after being reinstated from the Commissioner Exempt list, giving the pass rush another option for the first time this season. On the other side of the roster, rookie running back Jonah Coleman remains on the path back and is eligible to return from injury within the next 21 days, adding another piece to watch as Denver keeps managing its roster through the season. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Have A Growing Problem They Can't Ignore Up Front
A unit that looked like one of the Broncos biggest strengths entering the 2026 season has become a much louder question as the offense has stalled in recent games. The line was viewed as the leagues top group in preseason evaluations, and Denver committed major money to the front, building around veterans Garett Bolles, Mike McGlinchey and Quinn Meinerz with the expectation that it would be a stable foundation for Sean Paytons offense.
Instead, the production has not matched the investment, and Payton has already acknowledged the need for better play up front if the Broncos want their offense to function more efficiently. For a team trying to establish rhythm and consistency, the concern is no longer just about one rough stretch. It is whether a unit built to be a strength can quickly become a problem Denver cannot keep working around. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Nix Debate Gets More Complicated For A Broncos Team Still Winning
The Broncos quarterback conversation keeps getting louder even as the wins keep piling up, and Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt is pushing back on the idea that a change under center would automatically solve anything. Klatt pointed to Denvers strong defense as a major reason the team is still in the hunt, while also noting that the current debate is really about whether a different quarterback would actually raise the ceiling more than Bo Nix can.
For Klatt, the answer is still no. He suggested the Broncos best path is not a quick switch, but a better version of Nix himself, which is what makes this stretch so tricky for a team that is trying to balance patience with urgency. If the offense keeps sputtering, the question only gets harder, but for now the argument around Denvers quarterback spot remains as much about the long view as the next snap. [Read more 🡒]