The Denver Broncos have another opportunity to flex their roster depth in a preseason Week 2 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Head coach Sean Payton has already made it known that the starters will be playing at least a couple of series in the game, including starting quarterback Bo Nix.
Even with limited action for the starters, there is a ton of intrigue in this game when it comes to some of the young players on the roster, position battles, depth chart positioning, and even players who might be making their debut after coming off injuries. Let's take a closer look at the top 5 storylines that will make this otherwise inconsequential game must-see TV.
Five things to watch in the Denver Broncos' preseason matchup vs. Packers
1. The return/debut of QB Bo Nix
For the first time since the team's Divisional Round victory over the Buffalo Bills, quarterback Bo Nix will take the field for the Denver Broncos.
And not to be dramatic, but it's a huge deal.
Nix suffered a fractured ankle against the Bills, preventing him from playing in the AFC Championship Game, and possibly robbing the Broncos of a real chance to win a fourth Super Bowl in franchise history.
He's obviously been practicing fully since the start of training camp, and could have been a "full go" at the start of mandatory minicamp, but playing in a game is just different. The Broncos will have Nix out there for around 14 snaps against the Packers, and we want to see him operating the Davis Webb offense with confidence and efficiency.
Most important, everyone wants to see Nix just being himself out there, making plays, and moving around like he always has.
2. Jaylen Waddle making his Broncos debut...?
For now, we have to put a question mark next to this one. There's no guarantee that Jaylen Waddle will be making his Denver Broncos debut on Friday night against the Packers, but it would make a lot of sense.
Since suffering an injury on August 5, Waddle missed an extended period of time, but returned to the practice field and was doing so without limitations.
He made the play of training camp, catching a 55- 60-yard pass from quarterback Bo Nix after getting behind Pat Surtain's coverage.
If Waddle does make his debut for the Broncos against the Packers, expect him to get involved early and often.
3. Jonah Coleman's encore
The Broncos' coaching staff pulled rookie running back Jonah Coleman out of the game not long after an impressive 13-yard run against the Falcons, which was part of a larger sequence of really nice plays from the rookie running back.
Even though he's a fourth-round pick from this year's draft, the Broncos have extremely high hopes for Coleman. He showed the vision, patience, contact balance, and after-contact ability to be a future starter in the NFL.
And the fact that the Broncos are pulling him from a preseason game after just four carries? That speaks volumes. Davis Webb told the media earlier in the week that when they saw that big run from Coleman, the offensive staff collectively agreed that they had seen enough.
Now, the question is -- how much more of Jonah Coleman will we see in the 2nd preseason game?
Will we see any of JK Dobbins, who would be making his preseason debut? Will Coleman get some run with the 1st-team offense?
4. Young pass rushers getting home
The Denver Broncos had just one sack in their preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons. The pass rush still dominated much of the game, but the young pass rushers playing the majority of the snaps in this game are still going to be doing everything they can to get home and bring that sack number up significantly.
Jonah Elliss and Que Robinson should get a lot of snaps in this matchup against the Packers, who are still in the process of figuring out what their starting offensive line is going to look like. Regardless of who is playing on the offensive line for Green Bay, both Elliss and Robinson are going to be counted on this season to play big roles in the defense, and they are going to be hunting.
We also didn't see a ton from the young players with huge pass rush upside on the interior defensive line in the first preseason game. Namely, we want to see more from guys like top pick Tyler Onyedim and 2025 3rd-round pick Sai'vion Jones.
5. The rookie LB and TE duos
The Broncos have a pair of rookies at both the linebacker and tight end positions who will be worth keeping close eyes on in this game.
Red Murdock and Taurean York have some of the most hype you'll ever see for a rookie 7th-round pick and UDFA, but the reason for that hype is the Broncos' obvious need at the position. Especially after the past two seasons, where injuries to both Alex Singleton (2024 knee) and Dre Greenlaw (2025 quad) have caused significant adjustments in-season, these guys need to step up and make plays.
At tight end, it's 5th-round pick Justin Joly and 7th-round pick Dallen Bentley. To say we've heard very little from those two since the start of training camp would be an understatement. But Joly's name started popping up a lot more this past week, a potential indication that he could be featured in this week's game plan.
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