The Broncos will have one fewer week of OTAs than they did last year, so this week will mark the final week of voluntary work before next week’s mandatory minicamp.
It’s all about how the calendar fell.
This year, Labor Day is on its earliest possible day: Sept. 1. And since the start of the NFL regular season is based around Labor Day — with Week 1 taking place the weekend after that holiday weekend — everything happens at the earliest point on the calendar.
That includes training camp. Those dates are tied to the start of preseason, which, of course is set by when the regular season begins. All the dominoes fall from that early Labor Day.
In 2026, Labor Day will be on Sept. 7 — the latest possible day on the calendar. So, the dynamic will be different; one would expect the Broncos to return to a normal offseason.
Effectively, the preseason — and training camp — starts six days sooner this year than it will next year. That makes this year’s offseason six days shorter.
And given when team-organized offseason workouts started, their summer downtime would have been one week shorter than usual had the Broncos utilized their full offseason workload.
“This was the first year that I can ever remember where the calendar potentially would have pushed out another week and would have just been four weeks for these guys before training camp,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said.
“I wasn’t going to do that.”
Thus, Payton decided that time off was more valuable than a week of practice.
“We’ll have plenty of time for the football,” he said.
But that means maximizing the work this week.
Here are three things to watch for:
1. KEEP BUILDING THE TIMING AND COHESION
For quarterback Bo Nix, there’s plenty of groundwork laid here with his returning targets. But it’s a different matter with tight end Evan Engram, who arrived this offseason as a free agent and dealt with injuries last year.
“It starts by getting to know him,” Nix said. “See what makes him tick, what makes him go and what his passions are. It’s very clear from the beginning that he’s all about football and he’s all about taking care of himself.
“He’s been here since he was signed, getting ready and preparing. That’s been fun to see. So, I’ve gotten to be around him a lot.
“Then we just started working on the field. Early on in OTAs, you get to come out here and throw routes and just see what he’s like. See what kind of routes he runs and see what he’s thinking.”
A key for Nix finding cohesion with Engram is communication. If Engram is going to reach the level of, say, Courtland Sutton, there’s plenty of catch-up work to do — and so far, he’s doing it.
“We talk a lot,” Nix said. “He’s always asking me about certain things. When you get him out to practice, it’s just seeing how he reacts. I’m excited to include him and add him to what we already have. I think it’ll be good for us.”
Broncos RB RJ Harvey
(Photo: Andrew Mason / Denver Sports)
2. ROOKIES’ TASK: “BRIDGE THE GAP”
The burst demonstrated by running back RJ Harvey last week was promising, and provided a taste of what could be to come with opportunities in the regular season.
But that is not necessarily the most vital aspect of the work right now for the second-round pick, or for other members of the Broncos’ rookie class.
Instead, it’s about doing all they can to catch up and compensate for the weeks they weren’t able to spend in conditioning and weight training with their teammates.
Now, it’s not like the Broncos’ rookies haven’t been working out. But getting trained for Pro Days and pre-draft events isn’t the same as preparing for a football season.
“They’re behind obviously in a couple of areas,” Payton said last week. “Mentally, they’re catching up. Then also physically, getting acclimated to the weight program and [their] conditioning level. They’re 12-13 workouts behind.
“They don’t have to get there today. They just have to work their way there so by the time we get going in training camp, we bridge the gap, if you will.”
Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams Draine
(Photo: Andrew Mason / Denver Sports)
3. FOR PLAYERS DOWN THE BRONCOS’ DEPTH CHART, KEEP FLASHING
Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine and edge rusher Dondrea Tillman were two of the Broncos’ most promising rookies late last season. Thus, it came as no surprise last week when they shone during practice.
At this time of year, it’s all about stacking good days of work — whether it results in those bright moments or not. For players like Abrams-Draine, Tillman and others looking to solidify their roster spots, these days aren’t make-or-break — but they’re not meaningless, either.
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