Broncos Wrap Up OTAs: 6 Takeaways That Matter Most

The Denver Broncos' offseason training program is almost over. With the second week of voluntary OTAs officially in the books, all that's left is mandatory minicamp next week.

Then it's the six-week NFL summer — the desert that separates the offseason program from training camp. And once training camp hits, we're off to the football races.

Each voluntary OTA camp had one practice open to the media. The non-contact, lower-stakes format of OTAs makes it a little tougher to draw meaningful conclusions, but there's still a lot for us to sink our teeth into over the past two weeks.

What have we learned about the 2026 Broncos through two OTA camps? Here are six key takeaways.

Bo Nix is Almost Back

There's a chance the Broncos could wait until training camp to fully unleash Nix, but head coach Sean Payton said again on Thursday that we're likely to see the young quarterback out here practicing next week during mandatory minicamp.

"Bo got some earlier walkthrough stuff today," Payton said on Thursday. "I think you’ll see him next week. I’ve said that before."

Although Payton stopped short of promising Nix would be out there, he did say that when he is cleared, the third-year quarterback will be "completely clean mobility-wise." Fans are champing at the bit to see their quarterback under center, running the first-team offense.

It could be as soon as next week's three-day minicamp. All three days are open to the media, so look forward to that.

Payton's Extension

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton during Denver Broncos Training Camp. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

On Thursday, as the Broncos were holding their final voluntary OTA practice, the team announced that Payton had agreed to a five-year extension. The new deal keeps Payton in Denver through the 2030 season, just like his GM counterpart, George Paton.

Payton clearly values his collaboration with Paton, who was extended himself a few weeks back. There's a reason the Broncos aligned the respective timelines of their head coach and general manager.

"I think most importantly, aligning with George and the working relationship," Payton said on Thursday. "We enjoy coming to work together and going through this together. I think we think a lot alike."

Payton isn't thinking about his "end game" yet as a head coach. In other words, he's under contract for another five years, at which point, he'll be 67 years old, and he hasn't given any thought about retirement or what the future holds beyond that.

The Broncos rewarded Payton, who took this team from being a five-win doormat to dethroning the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West and earning the top playoff seed in the conference inside of three seasons. Payton has the Broncos on a winning track and he'll be around to see it through.

Jaylen Waddle is As Advertised

We've now had two practices to get a glimpse of Waddle in the Orange and Blue, and he hasn't disappointed, even in the rather sterile football environment of OTAs. Waddle's speed, explosiveness, and twitch have stood out, but so have the reviews of his new teammates and coaches.

On Thursday, the word 'multiplier' was used again to describe Waddle, which illustrates how the Broncos view him as a player who elevates the guys around him, including the players and coaches. That speaks to Waddle's football character and intangible skill set, which is just as important as a player's physical traits.

Just keeping it at the wide receiver level, Waddle's presence has already affected the competition in that room.

"When you add to a room like that with someone like Jaylen’s skill set, the level of competition and the results of all of them improve immensely," Payton said on Thursday. "We’re kind of seeing that in practice. Those guys work together well. It’s exciting to see."

Waddle came at a high cost — a first- and third-round draft pick — but so far, he's been as advertised, and then some.

Davis Webb Heralds Nix's Year-3 Rise

For the first time since being promoted to offensive coordinator, Webb addressed the media. It was good to actually hear from him rather than rely on Payton's remarks or the players', all of which have been glowing.

Webb said a lot on Thursday, but the big thing that jumped out was his take on the Waddle trade and its impact on Nix's outlook compared to what he saw as Josh Allen's backup when the Buffalo Bills acquired wide receiver Stefon Diggs back in 2020. The Diggs trade seemed to accelerate Allen's third-year leap, and Webb sees Nix on a similar trajectory with Waddle's arrival.

Webb's Buffalo parallel came up when he was asked to share his impression of Waddle thus far.

"He's good. (Laughs) He's a really good player. There are some similarities," Webb said. "When I was with Josh Allen going into Year 3, similar to Bo going into Year 3, and we traded for Stefon Diggs, and that was a good year. That was a good two-year run in ’20 and ’21 when I was together with them. Just seeing the growth from both players at that time, there’s some similarities of what's started to happen here. It doesn’t mean it’s going to... we've got a long way to go, but man, he’s good."

It's kind of crazy to think that just over three years ago, Webb was still calling signals himself as an NFL quarterback. He literally started the season finale for the New York Giants, then entered the coaching ranks a few short weeks later as Payton's new quarterbacks coach.

Webb's rise through the coaching ranks has been nothing short of meteoric. He went from being the quarterbacks coach, to being the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator, to being promoted to offensive coordinator, which also came with Payton giving him the primary play-calling duties.

In each of the past two offseasons, Webb has garnered interest around the NFL in the head-coach hiring cycle. He stuck around in Denver, according to him, because of the trust Payton showed him him by naming him offensive coordinator and passing him the play-call sheet.

If Webb's new role pans out the way Payton thinks it will, it won't be the last time the Broncos have to worry about outside teams swooping in and hiring Webb away. But if it happens again, it'll be a good problem to have. It's a worry for another day, though.

Young Players Showing Development

Jonah Coleman. — Denver Broncos rookie running back Jonah Coleman runs during an OTA pracitce. | Ben Swanson/Denver Broncos

Again, it's early, but there have been some strong signs of development in several young players throughout OTAs. Players like wide receiver Pat Bryant, running back RJ Harvey, cornerback Jahdae Barron, and even rookie running back Jonah Coleman have looked good out there, generating buzz and garnering praise from the coaching staff.

Perhaps the most surprising 'riser' has been quarterback Sam Ehlinger. With Nix observing during the two OTA practices open to the media, Jarrett Stidham has run the first-team offense, with Ehlinger mostly with the twos.

Ehlinger has looked very sharp, and significantly more comfortable than he did a year ago. The time spent in Payton's system has paid off, it would seem, and Ehlinger could put some real pressure on Stidham for the QB2 job.

The Broncos just re-signed Ehlinger to a one-year, $2 million contract. The Broncos are holding an open competition for QB2, and if Ehlinger beats out Stidham, we'll have to wonder what the future holds, especially considering that the team could save $4.5 million on the salary cap by moving on from their quarterback who started the AFC title game.

Even if Ehlinger earns the QB2 job, though, I doubt the Broncos part ways with Stidham, and not just because he's become a 'Payton guy.' The Broncos are confident and optimistic in Nix's recovery from the ankle fracture that ended his 2025 season two games prematurely, but he is returning from an injury, and the NFL is no different than life, in that, it's better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Among the Broncos' rookie class, Coleman has earned praise, but so has third-round defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim. All-Pro defensive lineman Zach Allen was quite complimentary of the rookie following Thursday's OTA practice.

“He’s got the hard part kind of done. You could definitely tell he’s got the physical traits, and then he’s got a good attitude about it," Allen said of Onyedim. "So he is always trying to learn, always asking questions. He really takes the film seriously, which is pretty rare for a young player. He’s been great."

Allen expects to be even more impressed, it sounds like, when the pads go on in training camp.

"[I’m] really excited just to keep working [with him]," Allen said. "It’s crazy to think it’s only his second week on the job. When the pads are on, it’s going to be fun.”

Vance Joseph Returns With a Focus on Improving

Joseph was again denied in the head coach hiring cycle, despite interviewing with multiple teams. On one hand, Payton was glad to keep Joseph, but on the other, he was disappointed for his friend and colleague. Payton remains confident that Joseph will get another bite at the head-coaching apple.

In the meantime, Joseph has accepted that the time isn't right yet. His focus is on helping his top-five defense become even better in 2026, and the most obvious room for improvement defensively is in the takeaways department.

“Absolutely it is," Joseph said of takeaways on Thursday. "I think our focus has to always be playing great defense. That's [on] first and second down, stopping the run, being great in the red zone, and being great on third downs. Those things can't change, but you can still focus on getting the ball."

The Broncos only took the ball away 14 times last season, coming narrowly close to setting a new franchise-low mark, but they still finished in the top three in scoring, yards, run defense, and third-down efficiency, while leading the NFL in sacks and red-zone defense. The question is, what can Joseph and the players do to increase the Broncos' takeaway production, and give Nix and the offense more possessions?

"That's for me, schematically, having more eyes on the ball with pressure. That's our players catching the football," Joseph said. "[That’s] our players when they're sacking a quarterback, breaking the elbow and causing more forced fumbles. So it's all of us, but it starts with me pushing it and making sure we fix that problem.”

The Broncos are returning 10 of 11 starters on defense, with defensive end John Franklin-Myers as the only offseason departure. The Broncos have a plan to fill the JFM role, but it's going to take time this summer for it to fully take shape.

In the meantime, Joseph is back and that's a great thing for the Broncos' defense.

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