Broncos' Biggest Winners and Losers of the Offseason

July is here, and that means that Denver Broncos training camp is right around the corner. The Broncos' veterans will report for training camp on July 28; from there, buckle up because it's going to be a wild season.

As the NFL summer marches on, we're continuing to look back on what we saw this offseason and analyze the implications moving forward. From the coaching hires and firings, to free agency, to the NFL draft, and the OTA camps of May and June, the Broncos' offseason has created several big winners and losers.

It felt like the longest Broncos offseason in recent memory, but a lot happened. Let's get into it.

Winner: Davis Webb | OC

The Broncos didn't want to lose Webb, who was a hot candidate on the head-coach hiring market back in January, so head coach Sean Payton made the preemptive decision to fire offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi shortly after losing the AFC championship game, who'd been with the team since 2023.

Webb was offered the OC job after coaching the quarterbacks for the past three years and serving as pass game coordinator in 2025. Not only did Webb get the big promotion, but Payton also gave him the primary play-calling duties.

Fans and media alike have wondered, with Payton's playbook being what it is, and Webb now calling the plays, whose offense is this really?

“It’s the Broncos’ [offense]," Payton said during mandatory minicamp.

It'll be fun to see what pictures Webb can paint on Payton's canvas. They've been a great tandem so far. But this will be Webb's first year as a primary play-caller in the NFL. It's going to be fun to watch.

Loser: Jonathon Cooper | OLB

Cooper struggled down the stretch last season, posting just one sack over the Broncos' final eight games. His momentum was headed in the wrong direction to begin the 2026 offseason, and then he went and got himself arrested... twice.

The Broncos decided to excuse Cooper from mandatory minicamp, creating some distance between the team and the beleaguered rush linebacker. Now all eyes are on Cooper's coming legal battle as he will be prosecuted for domestic violence and criminal mischief.

With the NFL expected to hand down a suspension, too, will the Broncos stand behind Cooper? Or will the seriousness of the charges, combined with the team's priority of staying on mission and avoiding distractions, lead to a release?

Time will tell, but Cooper is arguably the biggest loser of the 2026 offseason.

Winner: Bo Nix | QB

Nix is the biggest beneficiary of the Webb promotion. Those two have a close relationship, and that could serve as a launching pad of sorts in Webb's first year as a play-caller.

Nix is also a big winner because of the Broncos' blockbuster trade to acquire wideout Jaylen Waddle, an all-in move signaling the front office's commitment to Nix and the understanding of the competitive window this team is now in.

Nix's return to the field during mandatory minicamp, albeit in limited form, was a positive way to punctuate the offseason. There was much anxiety in Broncos Country about Nix's health outlook, but seeing him out on the grass for minicamp assuaged most of it.

Nix is expected to be fully cleared and ready to go for training camp. Meanwhile, Webb has drawn parallels to his time as Josh Allen's backup in Buffalo back in 2020 when the Bills acquired Stefon Diggs via trade.

Allen took a massive leap forward in Year 3 as a result, and Webb sees a similar trajectory in store for Nix with Waddle joining the team. The Broncos still have plenty of work to do, but Webb's parallel is exciting.

Adding to Nix's offseason winnings, he became a father back in February. Good things.

Loser: Jarrett Stidham | QB

Stidham punctuated the 2025 season by going from the bench to the starting lineup in the AFC championship game. After not starting a game since Week 18 of the 2023 season, it was a big ask, but the Broncos had no choice.

Alas, after a strong start, Stidham wilted in the AFC title game, crumbling under pressure, and failing to capitalize on the Broncos' homefield advantage. His two turnovers in that game directly led to the Broncos' 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots.

Not long after the season ended, the Broncos re-signed third-string quarterback Sam Ehlinger to a one-year, $2 million deal, and we started hearing how the QB2 job was up for grabs this year. Stidham hasn't been asked to sing for his supper since signing with the Broncos as a free agent in 2023; he's been handed the QB2 job year after year, with the exception of 2024, when he competed with Nix for the starting job.

There's a big difference between winning a job in an open competition and justifying a job. Stidham has only been asked to justify his standing as the QB2, but now he'll have to compete for it with Ehlinger.

When it came to OTAs and minicamp, Ehlinger did look better than Stidham, but we can't jump to conclusions based on those low-stakes practices. Stidham still ran with the first-team offense during the offseason practices while Nix was being held back, so that's worth noting, but Ehlinger has the momentum.

Ideally, Stidham storms back in training camp and the preseason and makes a big statement. But there's a reason he's suddenly being asked to compete for the QB2 job, and that was due to the rude awakening Payton surely had in watching his 14-win season and the No. 1 seed slip through his grasp on the doorstep of the Super Bowl.

With Nix rebounding from the third fractured right ankle of his playing career, the Broncos need to feel more confident about their QB2 situation. It could still be Stidham, but he's going to have to get after it and earn the job.

Winner: J.K. Dobbins | RB

Despite missing the final seven games and the playoffs with a foot injury, Dobbins was given a massive raise ahead of free agency when the Broncos re-signed him to a two-year, $16 million deal. Dobbins played on a $2 million contract last season, and when he was healthy, he delivered top-five running back production.

But as has so often been the case in his NFL career, Dobbins couldn't stay out of the injury bug's crosshairs. What he brought to the table as a ball-carrier and a leader, though, made him extremely valuable to the Broncos.

Payton said that getting Dobbins re-signed was a "priority above all others" this offseason. Dobbins was easily one of the big winners of the offseason.

Here's to hoping he can stay on the field in 2026. If he does, watch out.

Loser: JL Skinner | S

Skinner enters a contract year as a 2023 sixth-round draft pick. Although he hasn't been able to crack the defensive lineup much as a Bronco, he has been a standout on special teams.

With P.J. Locke departing to Dallas in free agency, there was an opportunity for Skinner to potentially climb the safety depth chart, but then the Broncos went out and signed Tycen Anderson. That was Denver's only outside free-agent signing of the offseason, not counting college free agents after the draft and tryout pickups.

Adding insult to injury, the Broncos also drafted a safety, bringing Miles Scott to town in the seventh round. The team has to do its job to add contingencies and depth when a given player hits a contract year, but if the Broncos keep four safeties, as they have traditionally, it's hard to see Skinner making the cut, mainly because of Anderson's arrival.

Iron sharpens iron, though. If Skinner balls out this summer, he could stave off Anderson by making himself indispensable. As a member of Payton's maiden draft class, I hope Skinner does just that.

Loser: Troy Franklin | WR

The Waddle trade pushed every Broncos wideout down the depth chart, except Courtland Sutton. Franklin, who'd been the Broncos' No. 2 receiver last year, now has to compete with Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims Jr. for the No. 3 spot.

The third receiver sees starter's snaps, though, so Franklin still has a great opportunity to have a role on offense. But he'll have to earn it.

Payton likes to rotate receivers, so Franklin, Bryant, and Mims are all going to see the field. The question is, who gets the biggest bite at the No. 3 apple? That is what's on the line this summer in training camp.

The good news is that Franklin looked good in the Broncos' offseason practices that were open to the media, so he's off to a good start. And his mindset seems to be strong.

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