The Denver Broncos wrapped up the preseason with a dominant 34-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Friday night. Before looking ahead to the regular season, we take a look back at the five biggest takeaways from the preseason as a whole, not just from the win over Minnesota.
1. The Broncos backup quarterback situation seems resolved
What was an early training camp battle settled quietly in the preseason. After both Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger played a half in the Broncos' win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 of the preseason, Ehlinger only got two drives of work in Week 2, while Stidham got near two quarters worth of work. Ehlinger did make up for it, getting three quarters of play on Friday night. Overall, it seems like Stidham won the competition, but it was not by a landslide, as evidenced
by his struggles against Green Bay. The biggest questions will be if coach Sean Payton decides to keep three quarterbacks on the roster, and is Ehlinger that third quarterback?
2. Kolbe Katsis made the most of his opportunity
Marvin Mims did not return any kicks in the preseason, instead getting increased snaps on offense. In place of Mims, the Broncos could have discovered a gem in undrafted free agent Kolbe Katsis. Katsis was electric on both punt and kickoff returns, making his roster prospect an interesting one. Do the Broncos keep Katsis on the 53-man roster in favor of using Mims more on offense? Or, does Denver keep Katsis around as an insurance policy, since Mims is going into a contract year?
3. Jonathon Cooper's situation remains in limbo
The Broncos still have not heard anything of a decision on league discipline regarding Jonathon Cooper. Cooper played on Friday night, and in his postgame comments, coach Sean Payton admitted he played Cooper because he doesn't know the next time he will step on a field. If Denver doesn't hear back on Cooper's status soon, they may end up using a roster spot on Cooper that could go to someone like a Kolbe Katsis.
4. Davis Webb's playcalling is balanced, effective
Throughout the preseason, barring a few bubble screens or jet sweeps, offensive coordinator Davis Webb was on his game. In three games of playcalling, the Broncos scored 77 points under Webb's direction (seven points against Atlanta were courtesy of Jahdae Barron's pick-six). Webb showed a willingness to push the ball downfield, while also pounding the rush attack. There may not be any written "RUN THE BALL" reminder on his playsheet in 2026.
5. The Broncos defense is legit
The Denver defense returns nearly every starter from 2025, and it looks like several players are only getting better. Cornerback Riley Moss had an outstanding camp and preseason, the pass-rush flustered quarterbacks, and the unit as a whole forced turnovers at a much better rate. Admittedly, it is still preseason, but the Broncos are looking to be even more effective in 2026.
The final act prior to the season will be cutting the 91-man roster to 53 by Sunday afternoon. We will have all the updates and news here on Broncos Wire as it happens.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 5 takeaways from Broncos’ 3 preseason games
