Denver Broncos rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett is in the midst of his first preseason and he seems to have taken a pretty firm stance in regards to playing starters.
While it’s not exciting for Broncos fans when watching these preseason games, the decision that Hackett has made to leave the majority of the team’s starters as spectators during the games is the right one.
It would be great to see Russell Wilson take his first snaps in orange and blue, but that time will come. He’s a veteran who has been through it all and the team is getting him ready for the season opener in its own way during practices.
Instead, these preseason games for the Broncos are serving the purpose that they should, to decide position battles and see which players should be part of the 53-man roster, the practice squad, or looking for a new team.
On Saturday, the Broncos will face the Buffalo Bills on the road and it seems as though the Broncos’ backups will play against the Bills’ starters for a decent chunk of this game.
That could provide a great look at which quarterback should win the backup role between Josh Johnson and Brett Rypien. It will also be an important game for those players looking to make an impression on the coaches.
But fans are going to have to wait until Monday Night Football on September 12 to see the starters. That’s a good thing, even though it will require some patience. What we saw happen with Jonas Griffith last week is all the proof you need that key players should not be playing in the preseason.
Hackett came from Green Bay where they regularly rest key players in the preseason and that has not impacted the team negatively in the regular season. This is the right move.