The Broncos’ preseason loss to Green Bay did more than end a win streak. It put a few roster questions under a harsh spotlight, the kind that can make an offseason look different in a hurry.
Denver has the look of a team that can contend for everything this year, but the Packers game also served as a reminder that the roster isn’t spotless. A few decisions from the spring already feel worth revisiting, and the biggest concern is that the Broncos may have passed on chances to make the team stronger in spots that matter.
One of those spots is inside linebacker, where Alex Singleton remains the clearest weak link. In the preseason blowout loss, Singleton was tied to a Green Bay touchdown after he was well out of position and changed the defense right before the snap.
That one play didn’t create the concern so much as underline it. Singleton has been a problem in coverage, hasn’t made enough plays behind the line, and keeps ending up in the middle of explosive moments for the other team.
Denver had plenty of chances to bring in a better option this offseason and didn’t. Re-signing him looks worse with every reminder, even with Justin Strnad returning and Red Murdock coming in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Those moves helped add bodies, but they haven’t changed the fact that this still looks like the weakest position on the roster.
The defensive line brings a different kind of regret. The Broncos mostly stayed in-house after losing John Franklin-Myers, who signed a deal worth $21 million with the Tennessee Titans in free agency.
Tyler Onyedim arrived in the third round, and the team clearly believes in the group already in place. Malcolm Roach and Enyi Uwazurike are the names most likely to carry the load behind him, and the rotation has been productive at times this offseason.
Still, the Packers exposed the backups across the defense, and that raises a fair question: should Denver have used a modest free-agent deal on a veteran who could raise the floor?
Calais Campbell fit that kind of move. The Denver native signed with the Baltimore Ravens this offseason after putting up 6.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits in 2025 for the Atlanta Falcons, and he hasn’t missed a start in three years.
Denver’s track record developing linemen is strong, but Franklin-Myers brought borderline elite pass-rush upside. Counting on internal replacements to cover that kind of loss might be asking for too much.
The third area is quarterback depth, and it may be the most fragile of the bunch. With one preseason game left, the backup job is still unsettled.
Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger have both shown flashes and rough patches this offseason, and neither has locked the role down. Stidham’s outing against the Packers was mostly forgettable, while Ehlinger brings more athleticism but doesn’t process the game the way Stidham and Bo Nix do.
That leaves Denver without a true slam-dunk QB2, and that’s a risky place to be even with Nix expected to handle the starting job. His availability makes the backup spot less of a priority than it might be on another roster, but injuries and chaos happen.
Broncos fans know that better than most. Given the free-agent quarterback options that were available, Denver had a chance to make that room sturdier.
Instead, the team is left wondering whether it passed on a cleaner solution.
There was no perfect answer at quarterback, and Stidham was put in a brutal spot in the AFC Championship Game, where his performance was largely awful. Even so, the Broncos had paths to improve the position this offseason, and that decision may come back around if the depth chart gets tested.
In Other News...
Broncos May Have A Davis Webb Problem If Bo Nix Takes Off
The Broncos have spent the offseason building around Bo Nix, including the move to bring in wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and elevate Davis Webb to offensive coordinator with play-calling responsibilities. Through the preseason, Webb has handled the offense well, and the early returns have only added to the sense that Denvers plan is starting to take shape around its young quarterback.
Webbs rise, though, comes with a familiar Broncos wrinkle. If Nix takes off and the offense keeps humming, Webbs stock figures to rise along with it, and his age and performance could put him on the radar for head coaching openings sooner rather than later. Denver has seen this before with coaches moving up the ladder, and the possibility that Webb eventually gets poached is now part of the backdrop to what could be a very good season. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos May Have Found More Than Depth In Red Murdock
Red Murdocks first NFL game gave the Broncos a little more than a routine preseason look at a depth linebacker. The rookie was active throughout his debut, finishing with eight tackles while handling 47 snaps, and he did it in a role that asks him to do more than simply chase the ball. Denver has him learning to call plays, a sign the coaching staff is testing how quickly he can handle the mental side of the position as well as the physical one.
That kind of responsibility has helped him stand out to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who has seen enough to notice both the football intelligence and the work ethic. Murdock is still fighting for a roster spot behind the starting inside linebackers, but his debut suggested the Broncos may be evaluating more than just emergency depth. For a rookie trying to carve out a place on the defense, that is a meaningful first impression to build on. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Already Face Pressure Over One Defensive Bet
The Broncos first preseason look at the starting defense did not take long to raise a familiar question. Green Bay opened the game with a touchdown on its first drive, and the breakdown quickly turned attention to the middle of Denvers defense, where Alex Singleton remains a central part of the plan after an offseason that brought little change at linebacker beyond Singleton and Justin Strnad.
That is where the pressure starts to build for Denver. After releasing Dre Greenlaw and choosing to stay with the linebackers already in place, the Broncos now have to prove that bet was sound, and one early lapse against the Packers only sharpened the scrutiny. The preseason score matters less than the larger concern hanging over a unit that may already need to answer for how it was assembled. [Read more 🡒]