The Denver Broncos play their first preseason game of the 2026 offseason against the Atlanta Falcons on August 14th. It's a huge game that will feature both starters and backups, as the starters may end up getting a series or two.
Quarterback Bo Nix will not play in this game, but that isn't anything hugely notable, as he'll get action in the final two games. The preseason does give teams the necessary reps to get sharpened up before the regular season, and this is especially true for backups who are fighting for roster spots.
Further, these Broncos have the most to gain in the preseason showdown against the Falcons.
These Denver Broncos have the most to gain in the team's preseason opener
Troy Franklin, WR
Third-year wide receiver Troy Franklin was listed as a second-team wide receiver on offense in the Broncos first depth chart. In 2025, Franklin was second only to Courtland Sutton in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, and as of now, it does appear like he is, at best, the fourth option in the room.
Franklin did have a solid year in 2025, but he doesn't really excel at much of anything and did struggle at times with drops and separation. Furthermore, with the emergence of Marvin Mims Jr and Pat Bryant this training camp, Franklin's status in the room seems to be going in the wrong direction.
With that said, he should get a lot of run against the Falcons, and while he won't have Nix throwing him the ball, he could carve out a nice day and simply do himself a favor with a strong performance to perhaps help his standing in the room.
Red Murdock, ILB
There is a non-zero chance that the unofficial third inside linebacker spot is up for grabs. Red Murdock could be the one who takes that spot, and if 2025 tells us anything about 2026, Murdock, if in the third ILB role, could see significant action.
Yes, Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are the starters, but Strnad has never been a full-time starter in his career, and Singleton is a limited player. With Murdock's all-time forced fumble skill set and his insane collegiate production, he could be someone who profiles as a fun depth piece for the Broncos.
He'll get his first NFL action against the Falcons, and a strong showing could make the Broncos coaches think about getting him more snaps with the starters as the preseason rolls on. It's truly wide open in this room after Singleton and Strnad, and even those two are limited players.
Jonah Coleman, RB
Jonah Coleman has had quite the training camp so far for the Broncos, and his ability to run between the tackles could be huge for this room. While RJ Harvey has shown off as a receiver during camp, Coleman has been the more efficient runner.
And with J.K. Dobbins having his injury concern and surely not being someone who is going to get a ton of carries, the Broncos will need one of Coleman or Harvey to step up and take that RB2 role over.
Not only that, Coleman also has pass protection chops and is a player who simply does the most important things well. Coleman isn't a burner and is definitely more of a rugged player. Being able to see that in the team's first preseason game would begin to definitely say that Coleman is the RB2 of this team for 2026.
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