Today is the day that brings the Denver Broncos one step closer to this upcoming season. While many other teams have already started, the Broncos officially begin their offseason program today.
Denver Broncos offseason program begins today
After what feels like a short layoff since the AFC Championship game concluded, the Denver Broncos begin their first phase of building for the 2026 NFL season as players report to the team facility today for the start of the offseason program. Usually, the offseason program begins late April for Denver, so it’s not an abnormal delayed start.
“Typically we come in in April,” Payton said at the NFL Annual Meeting. “The first four weeks—I know what the league’s phases are—we kind of tweak it. I always want the first month to be weight room, nothing to do with football. So this year, we went three weeks further into the season. Our players won’t be in our building until May, the first Monday in May. I think it’s the third or fourth. All of May will just be weightlifting. You’ll see us on the field in June. We’ll have two weeks of OTAs and a week of mini camp, but I don’t want them to feel like they were just here. So we’ve done that before. I think it’s important, and I think the players appreciate it because they were just here.”
Today’s start is about continuing to build strength and condition, and meeting in the meeting room with coaches before any on-field activities begin. That will take place on June 2nd.
Most players departed the end of the season with meal and workout plans that they could use for their own training. Now, it’s about players coming together as the team looks to win a Super Bowl this upcoming season. Iron sharpens iron.
Players in the building, Bo Nix expected to be as well
While this portion of the offseason is voluntary, the Broncos haven’t had an issue in getting guys into the building during this time of the year. That’s part of the culture that Sean Payton has built.
Bo Nix is expected to be in the building this week, according to a source, but he’ll likely go through an upper-body program and continue rehab and treatment with Beau Lowery after undergoing a cleanup procedure on his ankle. They’ll be smart with how they manage his return, and we’ll see where things are with him once the team actually takes the field in June.
Even if he takes the field in June, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s limited or works primarily on the side field, but to reiterate, the expectation is that he’ll be full go for the start of training camp at the end of July.
First look at Broncos rookies this week at minicamp
Mother’s Day weekend will be action packed on the Broncos side of things as rookies take the field for rookie minicamp beginning on Friday May 8 through May 10.
We’ll get our first look, hopefully, at this year’s 2026 NFL rookie class, featuring Tyler Onyedim, Jonah Coleman, Justin Joly, Kage Casey, Miles Scott, Dallen Bentley, and Red Murdock. Plus, we’ll get to see some of the undrafted rookies that have generated some pre-minicamp buzz, including Texas A&M linebacker Taurean York, Northern Arizona receiver and returner Kolbe Katsis, and other players who are likely to receive rookie minicamp invites.
Typically, we in the media get access to one of the three days with players, which also includes watching the full practice, talking to Payton afterward at the podium, and getting to talk to the rookies for the first time in the locker room. That will likely take place on Saturday.
We’ll have you covered here at Mile High Sports.
