Denver Broncos

Luke Wattenberg

C

Wattenberg was dealing with an undisclosed injury during training camp, but he appears to be past it as Week 1 prep begins for the Broncos. He should resume his starting role at center Monday at Kansas City.

Riley Moss

CB

Moss dealt with an injury to his ribs at the end of August, but his absence from Denver's injury report Thursday suggests he's clear of the issue. He should thus be ready to start at cornerback in Monday's season opener against Kansas City.

Marvin Mims Jr.

WR

Mims sustained a foot contusion in the Broncos' Aug. 28 preseason finale against the Vikings, but after having no limitations in the team's first official practice of the regular season, he'll be ready to go for the opener Monday in Kansas City. On the Broncos' unofficial depth chart, Mims is listed as a starting receiver along with Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton, though second-year wideout Pat Bryant drew plenty of positive buzz during training camp and the preseason and could push Mims for No. 3 duties.

Tyler Badie

RB

Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin entered training camp battling for a depth spot on the active roster. Badie was the one who earned that fourth and final running back spot, joining backfield teammates J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey and rookie fourth-rounder Jonah Coleman, while McLaughlin found a new opportunity in Cleveland on the Browns' practice squad. Badie figures to mostly see the field on special teams as a returner on kickoffs, though he could be in the mix for backfield touches if one of Dobbins, Harvey or Coleman were to miss time.

Courtland Sutton

WR

Sutton will look to make it three straight seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards as he once again operates as a top option in the wide receiver room with Denver. The Broncos traded for Jaylen Waddle in the offseason, and as a result, Sutton will likely see a reduction in targets, but his role as a top red-zone threat will remain.

Jonah Coleman

RB

Coleman was selected in the fourth round of April's draft after completing his four-year college career with a 2025 campaign with Washington during which he compiled 758 yards and 15 touchdowns on 156 carries over 12 contests. He also added 31 catches for 354 yards and two scores during his senior season. The Huskies played with an up-tempo style, so Coleman was on the field for all downs, resulting in him becoming a capable receiver and pass blocker. The running back is considered a more physical back than RJ Harvey, who also is set to serve as a reserve option behind Dobbins this season, and as a result, Coleman could be ticketed to serve more frequently as a direct replacement for Dobbins.

Pat Bryant

WR

Bryant reeled in 31 of 49 targets for 378 yards and a touchdown over 15 regular-season contests in his rookie campaign with Denver in 2025. The 23-year-old possesses a 6-foot-2, 200-plus pound frame, and he's on track to operate as the immediate backup behind Courtland Sutton as a boundary receiver with Denver this season. Bryant has already impressed with his physicality at his position, and he could earn more opportunities in his first campaign with new play caller Davis Webb.

Jaylen Waddle

WR

"He's going to play everywhere," Webb said. "He's really really good. He's going to play everywhere. Except offensive line." Coach Sean Payton has been moving Waddle all over the formation during training camp, and he recently beat Patrick Surtain for a 60-yard touchdown in practice. Payton added that Waddle "walks on water" with his traits. Acquired from the Dolphins over the offseason, Waddle missed some time early in camp with tightness. He's looking like a potential home run pick in the third and fourth rounds of fantasy drafts. Waddle is expected to be the engine of the Denver offense.

RJ Harvey

RB

Along with veteran J.K. Dobbins and rookie fourth-round pick Jonah Coleman, Harvey was rested in the Broncos' 34-6 win over the Vikings in the preseason finale Friday, which seemingly indicates that Payton intends for all three players to have roles in the game plan Week 1 against the Chiefs. After managing a soft-tissue issue in training camp, Dobbins is back to full health and is slated to begin the season as the Broncos' starter and lead runner, while the 5-foot-8, 220-pound Coleman is also likely to get some work on early downs. That leaves Harvey in line to serve as more of a change-of-pace option, which could make it difficult for him to build on the seven rushing scores he delivered as a rookie last season. Harvey averaged an unremarkable 3.7 yards per carry but proved to be an adept receiver right away, turning in a 47-356-5 line on 58 targets. He'll maintain more appeal in fantasy leagues with PPR scoring, though Harvey could emerge as a more trustworthy option in non-PPR formats if he earned more carries in the event Dobbins and/or Coleman miss time at any point.

Jarrett Stidham

QB

Sam Ehlinger pushed Stidham during training camp for his spot on Denver's depth chart behind starter Bo Nix, and the team opted to keep three quarterbacks on its initial 53-man roster, but at least for now, Stidham is second in the pecking order. Unless Nix gets hurt at some point, neither Stidham nor Ehlinger would be expected to get any snaps in a reasonably close game.

J.K. Dobbins

RB

Dobbins' practice participation in training camp was limited by a soft-tissue injury, which also caused the veteran running back to be held out of all three of the Broncos' preseason games out of caution. There's no indication that the issue is long-term, and Dobbins heads into Week 1 leading a backfield group that also consists of RJ Harvey, Tyler Badie and rookie fourth-rounder Jonah Coleman. Dobbins signed a two-year deal with the Broncos in March following his 2025 campaign with the Chargers, when he turned 153 carries into 772 yards (5.0 YPC) and four touchdowns while adding 11 catches (on 14 targets) for 37 yards across 10 regular-season games.

Jonathon Cooper

LB

Cooper now has a jury trial scheduled to begin Nov. 10 following a pair of domestic incidents that occurred a week apart in early June. The NFL placed him on the Commissioner's Exempt List on Sunday, which means he still gets paid and can attend team meetings but can't practice or play in games. Cooper's stint on the list is indefinite but may last for as long as his legal situation is playing out in court.

Nick Gargiulo

G

The offensive guard began camp on the active/PUP list and was never activated, prompting the move to reserve/PUP for the start of the regular season. Now, Gargiulo will have to miss at least the first four games of the 2026 campaign. The 2024 seventh-round pick should play a backup role once he's able to return.

Frank Crum

OT

The offensive tackle can return for Denver's Week 5 matchup with the Chargers at the earliest. Crum suffered a leg injury during the Broncos' second preseason against the Packers and missed the last week of training camp. The third-year pro projects as a depth tackle even when healthy.

Caleb Lohner

TE

Lohner underwent a procedure in June to address a lower-body injury, and he remained sidelined throughout the preseason. The tight end will now be forced to miss at least four contests to open the 2026 regular season, and the earliest he could make his season debut is in Week 5 against the Chargers on Oct. 11.

Troy Franklin

WR

Franklin opened preseason with a 23-yard grab in the opener against the Falcons, but that turned out to be his only production of the exhibition slate across three games. Despite the quiet summer, Franklin is slated to serve as the No. 3 receiver behind Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle in what should be a high-powered Broncos air attack.

Evan Engram

TE

Engram was more involved offensively in the Broncos' preseason opener against the Falcons, when he caught one pass on three targets for 24 yards. He didn't see a target in Friday's exhibition game, and it remains to be seen whether Engram and the other Denver starters will play in the preseason finale against Minnesota this Friday. Engram is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he caught 50 passes on 76 targets for 461 yards and one touchdown across 16 games. He figures to lead the Broncos' tight end group that also includes Adam Trautman, Justin Joly and Nate Adkins.

Wil Lutz

PK

Lutz's seven points were over half of the Broncos' total scoring for the night. The kicker succeeded from 53 and 38 yards in the contest, continuing to prove he is the clear primary kicker for the team. Lutz made 28 of 32 field goals during 17 regular-season games in 2025, nailing four of six attempts from 50 yards or greater.

Levelle Bailey

LB

Bailey will now spend the entirety of the 2026 campaign on injured reserve unless he is waived with an injury settlement. The linebacker sustained a broken leg in last Friday's preseason opener, so he will likely remain on the team's injured reserve for the season instead of settling.

Matt Henningsen

DE

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Michael Deiter

C

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Jordan Turner

LB

Alex Forsyth

C

Nate Adkins

TE

Adkins left practice with a trainer Friday after presumably suffering some type of injury, but it looks like it wasn't anything too serious. He'll continue to compete with the likes of rookie fifth-rounder Justin Joly and Lucas Krull for a depth role at tight end during the upcoming campaign.

Nik Bonitto

LB

Bonitto left Tuesday's session with an apparent leg injury, and it was initially unclear when the star edge rusher would be ready to return. Considering his participation Thursday, it's now evident Bonitto was only dealing with a minor injury.