ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Unlike last year, the Denver Broncos won’t have any joint practices with preseason opponents. After having two sessions during 2025 training camp — one each with the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals — they will practice only with themselves this year.
But even without the benefit of those extra days with opponents, Broncos coach Sean Payton doesn’t plan to appreciably change how he distributes snaps to his players in the team’s three preseason games.
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“I think you’ll see our starters play the same,” Payton said.
Payton mentioned earlier this month that his team wouldn’t have any joint practices this August, citing the shorter offseason heated by the team’s run to the 2025 AFC Championship Game.
“When you do have a joint practice, you miss maybe two days of installation,” Payton said. “So, this year we know we have the preseason games, but we’re not going to have a joint practice.”
Payton added Wednesday that the team plans to get the repetitions it would have had in the joint sessions in its own practice.
“We’ll have the same practice with our defense rather than an opponent’s defense,” Payton said.
“… One of the reasons of not having the joint practice is to keep getting these ‘A’ schedule practice-day schedules in that when you have one, then you have the day before where it’s prep for the team. You lose a couple of days, so, that’s all. I think that there will be a lot of good field work to get those reps.”
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BRONCOS DIDN’T PLAY MOST STARTERS IN SECOND PRESEASON GAME AFTER JOINT PRACTICE
Nearly every Broncos starter watched from the sideline when the team played its second preseason game last summer against Arizona, two days after the joint session at Broncos Park Powered By CommonSpirit. A week earlier against the San Francisco 49ers, Denver starters took part in the game, which transpired two days after the teams’ joint practice at the 49ers facility. The first-team offense remained in that game for three drives; the No. 1 defense played for two.
A fortnight later, starters participated in last year’s preseason finale at New Orleans. Bo Nix and the No. 1 offense played three possessions; the first-team defense took part in two series.
The Broncos won all three preseason games last year and have a seven-game August winning streak. The Broncos lost their first two preseason games on Payton’s watch in 2023 and haven’t fallen since.
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Denver opens its preseason Aug. 14 with a visit to the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Broncos then come home for two Friday night games against NFC North foes — Aug. 21 against the Green Bay Packers and Aug. 28 versus the Minnesota Vikings.