The Denver Broncos are set to host the Minnesota Vikings in their preseason finale on Friday evening. It will mark one final opportunity for players on the bubble to fight for a spot on the 53-man roster before cuts begin this weekend.
"Obviously, we’re competing every day, and guys are fighting for roster spots," defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said earlier this week. "Guys are fighting to be starters or important backup roles. Every day. It’s been a long camp. It should be long; it should be hard. That’s part of the evaluation — if guys can continue to push through when things get hard. It’s a long season. We have aspirations to play a long time, so that’s part of the evaluation — to see who can maintain consistency for a long period of time.”
Now, here's a quick list of five storylines (and position battles) we'll be watching on Friday.
5 storylines to watch in Broncos' preseason finale
1. The quarterback rotation: Bo Nix is not expected to play on Friday. Instead, the Denver Post reports Jarrett Stidham will start the game, then the club will take a long look at Sam Ehlinger. Stidham has seemingly already secured the No. 2 quarterback spot. Now the Broncos have to decide if they're going to carry three QBs on the active roster. Meanwhile, for Minnesota, J.J. McCarthy might be getting one final opportunity to revive his career with the Vikings.
2. Justin Joly bouncing back: The rookie likely has a promising future as a pass-catching tight end, but it seems that he needs to adjust to the physicality of the NFL level. Joly has largely underwhelmed through two preseason games, and he'll aim to end the summer on a positive note against Minnesota. As it stands now, Joly would likely be a healthy inactive to begin the season.
3. Denver's third inside linebacker: Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are the returning starters, but the two backup spots behind them are up for grabs. The contenders are Karene Reid, Jordan Turner, Red Murdock and Taurean York, perhaps in that exact order. Murdock might be claimed off waivers if cut, and the Broncos will take that into consideration. The two linebackers that don't make the active roster should be top candidates for the practice squad.
4. Broncos' fourth-string safety: Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones will lead the way and special teams All-Pro Devon Key is presumably safe. After Taylor Rapp stepped away for a personal situation, JL Skinner, Tycen Anderson, seventh-round draft pick Miles Scott and undrafted rookie Parker Robertson are competing for the fourth spot. Skinner's probably the favorite due to his contributions on special teams.
5. Denver's backup returners: Speaking of the kicking game, undrafted rookie receivers Kolbe Katsis and Cam Ross will aim to impress as returners on Friday. The Broncos might go into the 2026 season with Marvin Mims handling both kickoff and punt returns, but they'll carry at least one backup option, perhaps on the practice squad. It's possible (but not guaranteed) that Katsis and Ross could both make the practice squad, and a strong performance could help one of them pull ahead in the returner battle.
Friday's game will be televised (out-of-market) on NFL Network and in-market on these TV channels.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 5 storylines to follow when Broncos host Vikings in preseason finale
