In the final quarter of the Denver Broncos' 34-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Broncos rookie tight end Justin Joly reeled in an 88-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Sam Ehlinger to put an exclamation point on Friday night's win.
If you think that's the only story here, that's just the surface of what happened. We at Broncos Wire aren't joking: Joly was so wide open, you could have driven several 18-wheelers through the amount of space he had around him. A Vikings safety passed Joly off to the green grass behind him in a total coverage bust, and Joly literally could have jogged into the end zone for the score.
Broncos Twitter had a complete field day when they reacted to Joly's first NFL score. Check out some of the responses below.
8️⃣8️⃣
yards to the 🏡! 📺: 9NEWS pic.twitter.com/R1xQTw5Xbe
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 29, 2026
— RG 📷 (@RyanGreeneDNVR) August 29, 2026
Davis Webb is clearly a play calling genius 😏 https://t.co/7kWIOZZEnw
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026
— sack of eyes (@isaac303h) August 29, 2026
Justin Joly with an EXCLAMATION POINT on the preseason ‼️
— DNVR Broncos (@DNVR_Broncos) August 29, 2026
88-Yard TOUCHDOWN 🔥🤯 pic.twitter.com/wGNjdB7EpC
Usually not a good idea to pass a receiver off when you're the deep safety. https://t.co/9I7wbOHSFO
— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) August 29, 2026
Bro was wide open and had time to stay still to wait for the ball lmao
— peyton (@Nix2Waddle) August 29, 2026
lol pic.twitter.com/yOqAWKEqjP
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) August 29, 2026
"Joly-Joly-Joly-Joly" -- @MediaByAP
— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) August 29, 2026
RIP DOLLY https://t.co/dblJOaAlSb
Well hello Justin Joly.. He has had a quiet camp. Then he runs free into the middle of the field and catches an 88-yard TD pass contested only by gravity. That was Friday night open in a Sunday league. #Broncos lead 34-6.
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) August 29, 2026
Nobody covered Justin Joly. He waved his hands until Sam Ehlinger saw him. And it turned into an 88-yard touchdown.
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) August 29, 2026
How did the defense let Justin Joly get wide open like that?
— ThePurpleWurmple (@PurpleWurmple_) August 29, 2026
Justin Joly WIDE OPEN -- and he caps this rout of the Vikings with an 88-yar catch and run for a touchdown. He got it at midfield and ran the rest of the way for the score. Total coverage bust; he was passed off by a defender, but no one was deep. 34-6, Broncos.
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 29, 2026
Justin Joly said he questioned why he was so wide open as the ball came his way on the 88-yard TD: pic.twitter.com/iaV8Lmnu4l
— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) August 29, 2026
Ehlinger to rookie Justin Joly 88 yards for TD.
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) August 29, 2026
It's safe to say that there may not be an easier touchdown this season, preseason or regular season. This touchdown also serves as Joly's 'Welcome to the NFL' moment. Now, Joly awaits his fate on the Broncos' official 53-man roster, which will be finalized on Sunday.
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: Twitter reacts to Justin Joly's wide-open touchdown vs. Vikings
