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The Denver Broncos are set to face the Indianapolis Colts in their preseason opener on Sunday. Here are 10 things we’ll be watching for in the matchup.
1. The new kickoff format: The NFL switched to an XFL-style kickoff format this offseason. The Broncos believe they will benefit from the change, so it will be intriguing to see it in action. Denver coach Sean Payton has said the team will feature two returners, and we’ll be tracking who besides Marvin Mims could be a good return candidate in 2024.
2. Eyioma Uwazurike’s status: The defensive lineman’s gambling suspension was lifted on Monday, but it’s unclear if he will play in the team’s first preseason game. The Broncos might want to give him more time to get up to speed at practice before jumping into a live game.
3. The punter competition: Denver’s first depth chart of 2024 lists Riley Dixon “OR” Trenton Gill at punter, signaling that the punter competition is genuine. May the best leg win.
4. Luke Wattenberg (and others) at center: After losing Lloyd Cushenberry during free agency, the Broncos seem to favor Wattenberg in the center competition, at least at the moment. Alex Forsyth appears to be his main competition, and we’ll be watching how they perform in games.
5. The inside linebacker battle: Josey Jewell also left in free agency and Cody Barton and Jonas Griffith are the main contenders to replace him. Whoever performs better in preseason will start next to Alex Singleton in Week 1.
6. The wide receiver rotation: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin and Josh Reynolds are likely locks at receiver and the Broncos only carried four WRs on their initial 53-man roster last year. Denver will likely carry at least five WRs in 2024, but that still leaves a large group of players including Tim Patrick, Devaughn Vele, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Johnson and Jalen Virgil competing for one spot. Quite the backlog.
7. The cornerback competition: Going into preseason, the depth chart lists Damarri Mathis “OR” Riley Moss as the No. 2 cornerback across from Pat Surtain. Levi Wallace has also been mixed in with the starters at training camp, but he seems unlikely to play Sunday after tweaking his hamstring last Saturday.
8. The running back rotation: Javonte Williams remains the RB1 (and he looks great this summer), but there’s a lot of uncertainty behind him. Jaleel McLaughlin is seemingly safe and the team just used a fifth-round pick on Audric Estime, so he’s probably safe, too. If the Broncos carry four RBs, that would leave third-down specialist Samaje Perine, undrafted gem Blake Watson and Tyler Badie competing for the final spot.
9. Bo Nix making his NFL debut: Nix will be the story of the game for fans in Denver. After picking him 12th overall in April’s draft, the Broncos will give Nix his first NFL action on Sunday. Let it rip, rook.
10. The overall quarterback battle: Nix will be the most intriguing storyline, but Jarrett Stidham is also competing for the starting job and Zach Wilson is attempting to revive his NFL career. Denver’s quarterback competition will ultimately be decided during preseason.