The Denver Broncos punter competition is one of the few remaining position battles that will continue on into Sunday’s preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals. Broncos special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica has previously touched on how both Riley Dixon and Trenton Gill have hit the ball consistently at a rate he believes is the best he’s seen in training camp. Sunday’s game could decide it all.
Denver Broncos punter competition is close according to Ben Kotwica
The Denver Broncos didn’t need competition at the punter position this offseason, but they wanted it. They added Trenton Gill in the offseason to come in and compete with Riley Dixon, who had a very good year with the team in 2023.
In training camp, both players have been booming the heck out of the football, each amassing good hang time and net yardage in practice. Through the team’s first two preseason games, it looked like Dixon had the competition on lock because he had the only two punts in Denver’s win against the Indianapolis Colts. His only punt attempt on Sunday against Green Bay went for 45 yards and was downed at the Packers’ five-yard line.
Gill’s first punt of the preseason came in the third quarter of last Sunday’s game against the Packers, going 45 yards down to the Green Bay 20-yard line. His second punt attempt wasn’t ideal, going for only 34 yards to the Packers 25-yard line.
At that juncture, it felt like Dixon had the lead, but Gill boomed a punt late in the fourth quarter that extended this out another week. His final punt went for 67 yards inside the 20-yard line. Sunday’s game will likely decide the outcome of this battle.
“I’d say it’s still close,” Kotwica said on Thursday. “[P] Trenton [Gill] got some opportunities that he did not get there in Week 1 [of the preseason]. Especially the last punt, that was good to see. That’s more in line with what we have seen over the last couple of weeks. We’re still playing both players to give them an opportunity here in the final preseason game. Then we’ll see how it shakes out from there.”