DENVER — The 2026 Denver Broncos‘ second preseason game is in the books. In front of the Mile High crowd, Bo Nix made his return to the game field for the first time since suffering a broken ankle in the AFC Divisional Round in January.
Here’s who stood out throughout the game and the biggest winners against the Green Bay Packers.
Bo Nix
Bo Nix made this list the moment he stepped on the game field for the first time since the AFC Divisional Game win against the Buffalo Bills. Friday night was the first live action Nix and his ankle have seen since he suffered the fracture in January.
But Nix didn’t stop there. On the first series, he led a six-play, 65-yard touchdown drive, capped off with a beautiful 21- yard touchdown pass to RJ Harvey.
Nix was nearly perfect on the first drive, going 3-for-5 for 60 yards, a touchdown and a 141.7 passer rating.
He continued the hot start on his final series, which he led the team to a field goal. Denver’s starting quarterback ended the night 6-for-9 for 76 yards, one touchdown and a 129.9 passer rating.
“I thought he was efficient,” Sean Payton told the 9News broadcast at halftime. “He’s been moving well at practice and that’s really been the key evaluation. No restrictions. He’ll be ready to go to start the year.”
The night almost couldn’t have been drawn up better for Bo’s return to live game action.
Jaylen Waddle
Just like his quarterback, Jaylen Waddle just taking the field was a big win for a number of reasons. First, he made his debut for the Broncos. Second, he was healthy enough to play after suffering an injury earlier in training camp.
Then, he put the cherry on top by doing what he does.
On 3rd-and-5 from their own 40, Nix found a wide-open Waddle in the middle of the field. Bo hit his new star receiver and Waddle displayed his speed, taking off for more yards. Waddle’s first catch as a Bronco went for 35 yards.
That was all the coaches needed to see. His night was over after that. As it should have been.
Waddle is as advertised.
RJ Harvey
RJ Harvey had a heckuva game, and it went beyond his touchdown catch from Nix.
First, with J.K. Dobbins not playing, Harvey got the start over Jonah Coleman. The second-round pick’s lone carry of the day went for five yards too.
On his touchdown, Harvey put a nice move on the defender on his way to the end zone. Plus, his catch was impressive with coverage all over him.
Nik Bonitto
Although Denver’s star pass rusher didn’t log a sack, he made his presence felt in the few snaps he played. His stat sheet wasn’t bad, either. At the time he left the game, Bonitto’s three tackles were the second most on the team. And he added a defended pass.
But it was how he looked at a pass rusher that stood out.
Against the Packers‘ first-team offense, Bonitto got to Jordan Love on 3rd-and-1 and forced him to throw an incompletion.
On Tyrod Taylor‘s first pass, Bonitto forced him to scramble and racked up the tackle, only allowing the backup quarterback to get three yards on the run. A few plays later, Bonitto flew off the line of scrimmage at the snap, flying by the left tackle. However, Taylor felt his presence and right before he would have got smoked, he escaped the pocket. Bonitto nearly had a big-time sack.
Riley Moss
Riley Moss had a bittersweet night.
On his only two plays of the night, he made his presence felt on both.
The first play of the game, Love tried to go after Denver’s starting cornerback opposite Pat Surtain II. Moss, however, shut it down. Love attempted to throw to Christian Watson, but Moss was all over him and had a picture-perfect pass breakup.
The very next play, Surtain ripped the ball out of Watson’s hands and Moss recovered it. However, that’s when the bitter part of his night kicked in. Not only was the play overturned so his fumble recovery didn’t count, but he left the game and did not return with a rib injury.
Moss has rolled a fantastic training camp into a terrific preseason as he had an interception in the first game as well.
Que Robinson
Que Robinson is another player who has rolled a hot training camp into the preseason. He continued that on Friday night.
In the third quarter, the second-year pass rusher ducked under the right tackle to rack up his first sack of the night.
Que was around the quarterback all night too, racking up multiple pressures. He added two quarterback hits and one tackle for a loss too.
He was called for a roughing the passer in the second quarter, but it was a suspect call, to say the least.
