The 7 Biggest Questions the Broncos Still Haven't Answered

The Denver Broncos have completed their offseason training program. The six-week NFL summer is upon us, which gives us a lot of time to analyze what we saw during the offseason, and preview training camp.

The Broncos are coming off one of their most successful regular-season finishes in team history, tying a franchise record with 14 wins in 2025. The season didn't finish the way the Broncos hoped because of one untimely injury to their most important player, but it was one heck of an impressive campaign, marked by several iconic moments that will go down in club history.

With the offseason training program in the books, there are seven questions the Broncos still haven't answered. We don't expect the Broncos to have delivered answers to all of these questions at this stage, because the competition of training camp and how the preseason unfolds will heavily influence them.

For now, though, let's examine the Broncos' seven big unanswered questions and their implications on training camp.

Stidham or Ehlinger: Who is the QB2?

Sam Ehlinger and Jarrett Stidham — Denver Broncos quarterback Sam Ehlinger (4) and quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) during Denver Broncos Training Camp. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

For the first time since arriving in Denver in 2023, Jarrett Stidham has not been handed the No. 2 quarterback job. He is competing this time around with Sam Ehlinger for the privilege of backing up Bo Nix.

It's an important position battle because Nix is coming off a serious injury, so the Broncos need to have a solid contingency in place. The Broncos thought they had one last year, but when Nix went down on the doorstep of the AFC championship game, the moment proved to be way too big for Stidham.

So Stidham and Ehlinger will battle it out. So far, Ehlinger has looked vastly different from the way he did a year ago when he first arrived in Denver. He looks more comfortable and poised, and has been a sharper quarterback overall.

The Broncos don't expect to get a conclusive answer to this question until the preseason ends. This will be one of the key roster battles to watch in training camp.

As Nix goes, so follows the Broncos. The team knows that. But it needs to have confidence in its backup situation, just in case.

Who's the WR3?

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) catches a ball before a Christmas Day game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. | Scott Winters / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton are the unquestioned top two receivers in Denver. When it comes to the No. 3 receiver job, it looks like Troy Franklin has the early edge, but the Broncos are likely to use all of their pass-catchers in the rotation this season.

Franklin was Denver's second-leading receiver last year, finishing with 65 catches for 709 yards and six touchdowns. He has a history with Nix, too, dating back to their two seasons together at the University of Oregon before both were drafted by the Broncos.

However, don't sleep on Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims Jr. The competition for WR3 hasn't really even begun yet; it'll catch fire in training camp.

Again, the Broncos will use a combination of Franklin, Bryant, and Mims, but which receiver will rise to the top for the biggest seat at the table behind Waddle and Sutton? We'll find out soon.

What's the TE Pecking Order?

Sean Payton and Justin Joly. — Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks with tight end Justin Joly at rookie minicamp. | Ben Swanson/Denver Broncos

It's safe to assume that Evan Engram and Adam Trautman will reprise their roles as the Broncos' top two tight ends in 2026, but what will the pecking order be behind them?

The Broncos re-signed Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins before drafting Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley. Plus, Caleb Lohner — a 2025 seventh-round pick — returns with a full year as a pro under his belt.

When the dust finally settles, my bet is that the pecking order will go Engram/Trautman, Joly, and Adkins. But that still has to be decided by competition this summer. It'll be another fun roster battle to watch.

Is Ben Powers Healthy?

Powers suffered a torn biceps in Week 5 last season. The injury and subsequent surgery landed him on injured reserve until Week 16, but he did return to his post as the Broncos' starting left guard.

Fast forward to mandatory minicamp a week or so ago, and Powers wasn't there. Head coach Sean Payton said Powers is "doing well" and that he's "on schedule," so we can only assume he's recovering from an injury or an offseason surgery. Perhaps it's related to the biceps injury.

Payton said the Broncos are confident in where Powers stands, but we don't have much information on the subject. Fortunately, the Broncos have some legit interior offensive line depth in Alex Palczewski, rookie fourth-rounder Kage Casey, and Nick Gargiulo, but Powers is integral to the Broncos' run game efficiency.

J.K. Dobbins is back. Jonah Coleman has been drafted. But the Broncos need their starting five intact to ensure the run game achieves lift-off in 2026.

Hopefully, this is a case of 'nothing to see here,' and Powers is back for Day 1 of training camp with no restrictions. Fingers crossed.

Who Fills the JFM Spot?

The Broncos have one hole to fill in the starting lineup on defense. John Franklin-Myers signed with the Tennessee Titans in free agency, taking the 14.5 sacks he totaled over the past two seasons with him.

Reading between the lines of what defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has said, it sounds like the Broncos plan to have Malcolm Roach start in JFM's spot, and be that first and second-down run-stuffer, with Eyioma Uwazurike stepping in on third downs and obvious passing situations.

2026 rookie third-rounder Tyler Onyedim and 2025 third-rounder Sai'vion Jones will be part of the Broncos' defensive line rotation, but is either of them a threat to Roach and Uwazurike? I have my doubts, but that shouldn't take away from the momentum Onyedim has built up this offseason.

Like Powers, Jones missed practice at mandatory minicamp, so his trajectory is a little less clear at the moment. But after red-shirting most of his rookie year, the Broncos are hoping to see a big Year-2 jump from Jones.

If Denver had to play a meaningful game tomorrow, it would be Roach/Uwazurike, D.J. Jones, and Zach Allen with the first-team defense. Maybe Onyedim and/or Jones can work themselves into that conversation this summer, but it would take a lot.

Who Takes the No. 3 ILB Job?

Red Mudock. — Denver Broncos rookie linebacker Red Murdock practices during rookie minicamp at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit. | Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos

The Broncos utilized three linebackers heavily last season, but they released one of them back in March: Dre Greenlaw. We know that Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad will start at inside linebacker, but who's going to be that third guy into the fray?

The candidates are 2026 seventh-rounder Red Murdock, incumbents Karene Reid, Levelle Bailey, and Jordan Turner, as well as undrafted rookie Taurean York. Two of these names will make the 53-man roster, with one of them earning the No. 3 job and a more significant rotational role on defense.

I don't think the offseason program got us any closer to an answer to this question. This is a competition that will take shape when the pads go on in training camp.

From there, we should begin to see what's what, but this is a more important question than it might initially appear, as Singleton and Strnad will both be on the wrong side of 30 by the time the season starts and have dealt with injuries as pros. Someone has got to step up and take the job.

Which Players Get Extended?

Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) gains yardage against the Las Vegas Raiders during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Broncos have several key players entering a contract year, including Mims, cornerbacks Riley Moss and Ja'Quan McMillian, safety Brandon Jones, and Powers. Broncos GM George Paton has a tradition of getting extensions done in late July or August, and I don't expect it to be any different this year.

But which players are first in line? The 'Three Ms' have to take precedence here, perhaps starting with McMillian. He might be a nickel corner, but his takeaway production is too important to this defense. It's in Denver's interest to get him signed long-term asap.

Then it's Mims. He's a two-time All-Pro returner and the first draft pick of the Payton regime. Mims has been a true team player and a total company man, in the best sense, sacrificing his own desire to be a high-volume receiver to play whatever position the Broncos have asked him to on offense.

Mims's All-Pro impact as a returner is enough reason to extend him, but throw in his clutch gene and the symbolism of him being Payton's first draft pick, and he has to near the front of the line.

Moss is a little more complicated for two reasons: 1.) He knows he's worth $20-plus million/year on the open market as one of the NFL's best No. 2 boundary cornerbacks, and 2.) the Broncos have a recent first-round pick langishing on the bench in Jahdae Barron.

The Moss question really depends on how the team views him. If the Broncos see him as a third-round pick they developed into a foundational piece, he could actually be the first in line for an extension. In a vacuum, he probably would be. But the NFL is more complex than that.

As for Jones and Powers, there's still a good chance Jones could earn an in-season extension, but I doubt he gets one before the season starts. The Broncos have been preparing for his eventual departure over the last few offseasons, signing Tycen Anderson in March and drafting Miles Scott.

The same goes for Powers, but I doubt he gets offered an extension at any point, just because the Broncos have such good, young depth — including two recent draft picks — waiting in the wings. Powers could always change that arithmetic, though, by turning his play up a notch, and helping the Broncos' rushing offense reach heretofore unseen heights in 2026.

If that happens, Denver would be remiss to let Powers leave, but he's entering his age-30 season and coming off a serious injury that cost him serious time, so from a probability perspective, the Broncos will likely look to get younger at left guard in 2027.

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