The Broncos didn’t just beat the Vikings in their preseason finale - they used the night to clear up a few roster battles, spotlight some young defenders, and maybe even change the conversation at backup quarterback.
That’s the kind of game Denver needed after getting humbled by Green Bay in Week 2 of the preseason. This one felt different from the jump. The Broncos were locked in, the depth players were fighting for real jobs, and with two days left before the team has to put together its 53-man roster, a handful of performances may have nudged the decision-makers in a new direction.
One of the biggest storylines centered on Jonathon Cooper. During the game, 9News Broncos insider Mike Klis reported that the likely outcome for the starting outside linebacker is to miss 2-6 games on the Commissioner's Exempt List.
Because Cooper’s legal situation is still ongoing, it’s not an official suspension. Even so, Denver chose to give him extra preseason reps rather than leave him in street clothes, which looked like a pretty strong hint about what the team expects next.
If Cooper is out, the Broncos may already have answers waiting. Jonah Elliss and Que Robinson both flashed as ready-made replacements.
Elliss was active from the opening snap and repeatedly showed up setting the edge and getting after the quarterback. Robinson made his presence felt too, and at one point nearly shut down a Vikings trip into the tight red zone by himself.
At quarterback, the night seemed to tilt in Sam Ehlinger’s direction. He opened with a rough interception, but he settled in and did enough to make a case for QB2.
Jarrett Stidham, meanwhile, didn’t show enough in limited work with the first unit to justify his $8 million price tag this season. The Broncos could save $4 million by cutting him or $6.5 million by trading him, though that still doesn’t make a major shakeup feel especially likely.
The more probable outcome appears to be Stidham staying as QB2 with Ehlinger either sticking as QB3 or trying to sneak back to the practice squad, where there’s no guarantee he’d clear. For now, Ehlinger looks like he offers the same kind of chance at a much lower cost, and Stidham may have been part of the problem on Marvin Mims Jr.’s early injury with a brutal throw.
That brings the attention to the return game, where Denver clearly needs depth heading into the season. Kolbe Katsis has been the most consistently impressive return man all preseason, both on kickoffs and punts.
He stacked up at least four strong kickoff returns, including a 49-yarder against the Vikings, and also added a 13-yard punt return. If he doesn’t make the 53-man roster, the Broncos will be hoping he slips through waivers.
There was also a rare bright spot for tight end Justin Joly. After a tough camp and preseason that has him trending toward a redshirt year, he finally delivered a moment worth remembering: an 88-yard touchdown from Sam Ehlinger. It was the kind of play Broncos fans had been asking for from the rookie fifth-round pick, and it should give him a needed boost.
On the roster front, one undrafted name may be gaining real traction. Most of the offseason chatter has focused on linebacker Taurean York as a possible 53-man addition, which would have made 22 UDFAs on the opening roster in the last 23 years.
But during the broadcast, Mike Klis also floated Gavin Ortega as a surprise candidate. The rookie interior offensive lineman brings guard-center versatility and has apparently impressed throughout the offseason program.
That would be a notable development on a line that already looks strong on paper, but Ortega was one of Denver’s most coveted undrafted free agents and may have done enough to stick.
And then there was Red Murdock, who finally did what Broncos fans have been waiting to see. The rookie linebacker, known as Mr.
Irrelevant in this year’s draft, forced a fumble late in the fourth quarter when a Vikings player tried to make something happen after the catch. Parker Robertson recovered it.
Murdock set an NCAA record with 17 forced fumbles at Buffalo, and this was the kind of play that reminded everyone why his knack for punching the ball loose has been such a calling card. If he keeps doing that on special teams this season, Denver will take it.
In Other News...
Broncos Just Made Final Cuts A Lot Tougher Than Expected
The Broncos closed the preseason with a 34-6 rout of the Vikings, and the lopsided finish only sharpened the pressure on the front office as the roster deadline approaches. What had looked like a fairly straightforward trimming exercise suddenly has a few more names in the mix, thanks to backup performances that stood out when the stakes were highest for fringe players trying to survive the final round of cuts.
Sam Ehlinger and Cody Schrader both turned in notable outings that will make the conversation a lot more interesting over the next few days, while Marvin Mims Jr. left with a foot bruise but is expected to recover. Not everyone helped his case, either, as Barron struggled and could be staring at a tougher path than he seemed to have going into the finale, which is exactly the kind of late twist that can turn a routine cutdown into a real debate. [Read more 🡒]
Marvin Mims Jr. Just Put A Broncos Decision Back In Play
Marvin Mims Jr.s preseason debut for the Broncos was over almost as soon as it began against the Vikings, and the quick exit put an immediate spotlight back on his role in Denver. Mims was escorted to the sideline and then to the locker room after suffering a foot injury at the end of the first drive, a frustrating turn for a player whose speed and return ability have been part of the conversation around his place on the roster.
The timing matters because Mims has been viewed as one of the players who could shape Denvers decision-making at returner, and any injury concern naturally spills over into bigger questions about availability and contract talks. The Broncos do have other options if Mims is limited, which gives the team some insurance, but it also leaves a key special teams discussion hanging while the injury picture sorts itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Kolbe Katsis Just Made The Broncos' Easiest Cut A Real Problem
Sean Payton reached for a little pop-culture theater before the preseason game, borrowing an analogy from The Voice to push his players into the spotlight. For a Broncos roster still taking shape, that kind of message fit the moment. Denver has long been willing to keep undrafted free agents around if they earn it, and wide receiver Kolbe Katsis has done exactly what an uphill roster candidate needs to do by standing out when the games started counting for evaluation.
Katsis made his case in the preseason, and the loudest part of it came in the return game, where his work on kickoff and punt returns gave the Broncos something useful to think about at two spots at once. Wide receiver depth is always part of the calculation, but so is the return specialist job, and Katsis has put enough on tape to make what looked like an easy cut a little less simple. Denver still has to sort out the final roster, but his performance has created a real conversation where there may not have been one before. [Read more 🡒]