Tag: Broncos Buzz

John Elway says Bo Nix can help Broncos compete for world championships again

“The sky’s the limit for him,” John Elway said of Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway likes what he’s seen from Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix this season.

“I’m happy for him,” Elway said during a recent interview with Broncos Wire about Dupuytren’s contracture and his treatment. “I’m happy for the Broncos and the Broncos fans out there. It’s kind of been a long dry spell and I think that everybody’s excited about what’s going on there. Obviously, the new ownership group is tremendous, with Sean Payton as a head coach and then obviously we draft Bo Nix, who I think Sean really likes and obviously, everybody likes now because we’ve seen him grow through the first 11 weeks of the season.

“It’s exciting to watch. But I think there’s a combination of both in the fact that Bo Nix has great talent. He’s very mature. He’s got 60 starts in college, which I think has really helped him.

“But I think even more importantly is the way that Sean and (quarterbacks coach) Davis Webb handle him, they’re not putting them in situations he can’t handle. They’re bringing him on slowly, getting him to understand the NFL game, which is a big jump from the college game, and so I think the whole combination of what is going on there is showing up in Bo’s play.

“He’s got the ability; Sean and Davis are putting him in situations that he can handle and those situations keep getting more and more week in and week out. And so, you know, the sky’s the limit for him. He’s just going to continue to get better and better.

“And as long as Vance Joseph keeps that defense going and keeps (Nix) in games week in and week out, then that allows the quarterback to grow at his own speed too and also win football games.”

Nix has broken multiple franchise (and NFL) records this season, passing several former marks set by Elway in his rookie year. Does Elway feel bad about seeing his records fall?

“I don’t,” Elway said with a laugh. “You know what? I’m glad he’s breaking them because it was my rookie year, we weren’t very good, so it’s nice to see that he’s got out to a better start than I had. And I think that’s a good sign for all the Bronco fans out here to be able to watch that knowing that they’ve really got somebody they can build around right now. Because, you know that quarterback position is so important in the NFL and it looks like they found their guy and [he will] continue to grow and bring back that excitement and start to compete for those world championships again.”

John Elway spoke with Broncos Wire in a three-part interview this week. Elway dicsussed Dupuytren’s contracture in Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 3, featuring Elway’s take on Denver’s playoff chances this season.

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Craig Carton apologizes to Broncos for harsh preseason prediction

“Broncos Country, I apologize,” Craig Carton said. “I was wrong. I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

Before the 2024 NFL season began, Craig Carton of Fox Sports shared a harsh prediction for the Denver Broncos.

“The Broncos are going to stink,” Carton said in August. “There’s no talent on that team … I’m looking at the Denver Broncos going, that over/under should be 2.5! Where are the wins coming from?”

Denver’s actual over/under line was 5.5 wins, and the Broncos beat that when they secured their sixth win of the season in Week 11. After the team hit the over, Carton apologized for his pre-season prediction.

“I would like to take this moment to apologize to Denver Broncos fans,” Cartons said on Breakfast Ball earlier this week. “About two months ago, we were giving our preseason predictions and I may have uttered the phrase, ‘The Broncos stink, the over/under should be 2.5.’ So to Broncos Country, I apologize. I was wrong. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The Denver Broncos are a very well-coached team … I’ll eat this one, I got it wrong.”

If the season ended today, the Broncos would make the NFL playoffs as the sixth and final seed. Denver has six games remaining this season.

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Broncos release Thursday injury report: Starting guard back at practice

Good news — Broncos guard Ben Powers (shoulder) was back at practice today after sitting out Wednesday’s session.

After sitting out Wednesday’s practice, Denver Broncos left guard Ben Powers (shoulder) was back on the field Thursday on a limited basis.

Powers started all 17 games for the Broncos last season and the first 11 games this fall. He has been penalized four times and allowed one sack in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.

Denver’s depth chart lists Calvin Throckmorton as the backup guard behind Powers. Other backup options include Alex Forsyth, Matt Peart and Alex Palczewski.

Elsewhere on the injury front, wide receiver Josh Reynolds (finger) and running back Tyler Badie (back) are eligible to return from injured reserve, but Badie has not yet returned to practice.

Denver’s complete Thursday injury report can be seen below. DNP = did not participate.

Player Wed Thur Fri Game Status
DB P.J. Locke (thumb) Full Full
LB Drew Sanders (Achilles) Full Full
WR Josh Reynolds (hand) Full Full
DL Zach Allen (NIR – rest) Limited Full
DB Brandon Jones (abdomen) Limited Full
G Ben Powers (shoulder) DNP Limited

The Broncos will practice again on Friday before releasing a final injury report with game statuses for Sunday’s showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Peyton and Eli Manning release funny statements about 2025 Pro Bowl

Peyton and Eli Manning announced a return to the Pro Bowl with their signature sense of humor.

The Pro Bowl Games are returning this season and the NFL’s favorite brothers will once again serve as the head coaches.

Peyton Manning (AFC) and Eli Manning (NFC) will face off in the 2025 Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 2.

After the league announced the Mannings as returning coaches, the brothers released a pair of funny statements ahead of the Pro Bowl.

“The Pro Bowl Games are all about having fun,” Peyton said. “It’s always unpredictable, and we got to bring fans into the action and see the NFL’s biggest names compete. And the best part about this year’s games is knowing that my AFC team is going to end Eli’s two-year run of luck with the NFC.”

The NFL’s statement included a fitting retort from Eli.

“I love everything about the Pro Bowl Games,” Eli said. “And getting to hear Peyton complain about losing every year makes it even better.”

Fan voting for the 2025 Pro Bowl will open on Nov. 25. The list of Denver Broncos players worthy of consideration this season includes guard Quinn Meinerz, left tackle Garett Bolles, defensive end Zach Allen, pass rushers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, and cornerbacks Pat Surtain, Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian.

Since switching to a flag football format, Eli’s NFC is 2-0 against Peyton’s AFC in the revamped Pro Bowl Games.

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Former Broncos TEs coach takes over as UNC-Charlotte’s interim coach

Tim Brewster, who coached Broncos tight ends from 2005-2006, has been named interim head coach of the Charlotte 49ers.

A former Denver Broncos assistant coach is getting a head coach job at the college level, at least on an interim basis.

After parting ways with Biff Poggi halfway through their season, the Charlotte 49ers have named Tim Brewster their interim head coach.

Brewster, 64, is a veteran coach who served as Denver’s tight ends coach from 2005-2006. The Broncos’ top tight ends in those two seasons Jeb Putzier, Stephen Alexander and Tony Scheffler.

Brewster left Denver in 2007 to become the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. After going 15-30 over four seasons, Brewster was let go in 2010. Since then, he has spent time with eight other colleges, each time as an assistant coach.

Before joining UNC-Charlotte as an associate head coach and tight ends coach earlier this year, Brewster served as Colorado’s tight ends coach under Deion Sanders in 2023. He also coached with Sanders at Jackson State in 2022. Before that, Brewster spent time at Florida, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Florida State and Mississippi State.

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Jamie Erdahl ranks Broncos as a top-5 team in the AFC

NFL Network’s Jamie Erdahl ranked the Bills, Steelers, Chiefs, Ravens and Broncos as the top-five teams in the AFC.

The Denver Broncos have been hot in recent weeks and NFL Network’s Jamie Erdahl is buying into the hype.

Erdahl recently ranked the Broncos as the fifth-best team in the AFC.

“I like Sean Payton, I’m getting on the Peter Schrager Sean Payton bandwagon,” Erdahl said on Good Morning Football earlier this week. “I think it’s very dangerous when you have a coach come in, the second year into the system, he has created a culture and a dynamic … he got his quarterback, [and they have a] really good defense.”

Erdahl has the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Broncos ranked as the top teams in the conference.

Erdahl ranked Denver above teams including the Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) and Houston Texans (7-4). Right now, both those teams sit above the Broncos in the AFC’s playoff picture.

Fans in Denver will hope that Erdahl’s rankings prove to be accurate at the end of the season.

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Dejected Drew Lock reacts to not being named Giants’ starter

“It’s just an interesting situation,” Drew Lock said after the Giants benched Daniel Jones and Tommy DeVito jumped Lock on the depth chart.

The New York Giants announced this week that quarterback Daniel Jones has been benched. Surprisingly, Drew Lock is not replacing him.

Lock served as New York’s backup quarterback for the first 10 games of the season. After benching Jones, however, the Giants are turning the offense over to Tommy DeVito, not Lock.

So why was Lock listed above DeVito on the depth chart all season until Jones was benched?

“Yeah, that’s a question I might still have for myself,” Lock told reporters on Wednesday, via SNY.tv. “You know, it was expressed to me that I was going to be the [No.] 2 and, I don’t know, it’s just an interesting situation.

“Not much I can really say about it besides, again, I’m going to be here for him and we’re still communicating, we’re still very good friends, believe it or not. No, yeah, I’m going to be here for him. This team needs to get a win and if you start winning, everything gets a little better around here.”

There’s been speculation that New York is not starting Lock in part because his contract includes reachable incentives based on playing time and performance. Whatever the reason, DeVito will start for the Giants going forward.

Lock, 28, was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Missouri. He is 9-14 as a starter in the NFL.

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Broncos QB Bo Nix wins 2 more awards: ‘It doesn’t end with just that’

Triple Crown: Broncos QB Bo Nix was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, the Air Player of the Week and the Rookie of the Week.

The awards just keep coming for Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

After being named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week, Nix was also named the Air Player of the Week and the Rookie of the Week on NFL.com.

“I’m proud of where he’s at,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Nix after Wednesday’s practice. “He works tirelessly and [has] the confidence in his teammates. All of that stuff is what you hope to see.

“The best part is — you guys know him now — he’s very grounded and he’s very team-driven relative to what’s important. We just want to keep building on that. It’s good with where we’re at in this juncture of the season.”

Nix went 28-of-33 (84.8%) passing for 307 yards with four touchdowns and no turnovers in a 38-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Nix was honored by this week’s accolades, but he knows there’s still work to be done.

“It’s cool, it’s a great honor,” Nix said Wednesday, “It’s a great responsibility, but at the same time it doesn’t end with just that. You obviously have to continue to go back. They only remember your last game, so you have to go out there and continue to do it. It’s a great honor. Many great players have won the award in the past, so it’s an honor to be included and be that recipient. [There is] a lot of work left to be done.”

Nix aims to remain even-keeled going forward.

“I understand what it’s like to be playing well, and then also not playing well,” Nix said. “So [I] definitely want to continue playing well. It’s just being able to stay grounded with being able to handle the highs and the lows and just remain the same. Be the same guy in the locker room all the time.”

Up next for the Broncos is a road game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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What should we make of the Broncos’ running back rotation?

Sorry, fantasy football managers: Broncos coach Sean Payton didn’t provide clarity on the running back rotation.

For several weeks leading up to Week 10, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton had hinted that rookie running back Audric Estime could get more involved on offense.

Estime then led the team in snaps (26), carries (14) and rushing yards (53) against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10, and the hype went through the roof. Admittedly, Broncos Wire was at the forefront of the campaign to add Estime in fantasy football leagues. In hindsight, we might have overestimated Estime’s future workload.

Javonte Williams returned to leading the backfield against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11, rushing nine times for 59 yards and a touchdown. Estime got six carries for 16 yards and Jaleel McLaughlin rushed four times for 19 yards.

So, what should we expect from the team’s backfield rotation going forward?

“That’s the $6 million question,” Payton said after Wednesday’s practice. “It’s difficult. We know kind of what we have with those three players and it’s just — it’s always hard to feed three. I’m used to — and it’s easy — to feed two. So we kind of do that a little bit.

“I thought Javonte had some really good runs. Certainly, the game ends and we’re like, ‘Gosh, we’ve got to get Jaleel more touches.’ So it’s a tough, but a good problem to have.”

That answer from Payton won’t provide much clarity.

Payton clearly likes Estime, but the running back has not leapfrogged Williams on the depth chart. It might be difficult to predict the utilization of the team’s three backs on a week-to-week basis.

After the win against Atlanta, Payton said, “We’ll figure it out each week though and kind of plan accordingly.”

Unfortunately, that’s not a very helpful explanation for fantasy football managers. At the moment, though, Williams seems to be the RB1.

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Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto ranks second in the NFL in sacks: ‘He’s a handful’

Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto ranks second in the NFL with nine sacks this season. “He’s a handful,” coach Sean Payton said.

Following his two-sack performance against the Atlanta Falcons last week, Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto is now tied for second in the NFL with nine sacks this season.

Only Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson (11.5) has more sacks than Bonitto through 11 games. Bonitto has already topped his previous career high of eight sacks in a season (2023).

Following a 38-6 win over the Falcons, Broncos coach Sean Payton attributed Bonitto’s rise to the pass rusher getting more snaps after putting on more weight.

“I would No. 1, guess that his snap count is higher,” Payton said. “So I’d say more opportunity. He’s stronger, and so with those additional opportunities, I think he’s done a great job of taking advantage of it to his credit. He’s a handful. Especially he’s one of those guys that bends well. It’s really helped us not only on third down, but on the earlier downs.”

Denver’s defense held Atlanta’s offense to just two field goals on Sunday.

“It means a lot and we obviously take a lot of pride in that,” Bonitto said of not allowing a touchdown. “Credit to the coaching staff and the guys that I am rushing with.”

Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked three times and the Broncos’ defense now ranks first in the NFL with 39 sacks this fall.

“Just knowing the type of scheme [that] they like to run, knowing the type of guys we have in our room and the d-line room, we knew we could get after them,” Bonitto said.

Up next for Bonitto and Co. is a showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders. Gardner Minshew has been sacked 26 times in nine games this fall.

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