Revisiting the Broncos’ Undefeated 2025 Preseason: Who Stood Out?
The Denver Broncos are less than a week away from beginning the 2026 preseason, and they will enter it riding an impressive seven-game preseason winning streak. Denver went 3-0 during the 2025 preseason, winning each game by at least 11 points while giving several young players and roster hopefuls an opportunity to make their case. A year later, however, the more interesting question isn’t whether the Broncos won those games, but what happened to the players who helped them do it.
Some of last year’s preseason standouts went on to become important pieces of Denver’s roster, while others struggled to carve out meaningful roles or didn’t even make the 53-man roster. Revisiting those three games provides an interesting reminder that preseason statistics don’t always predict regular-season success, but they can reveal which players are ready for a bigger opportunity.
Week 1 @ San Francisco 49ers: Jarrett Stidham Makes His Case
The Broncos opened the 2025 preseason with a 30-9 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, but the most encouraging performance from Denver’s offense came from a quarterback who already knew he wasn’t going to be the starter. Bo Nix struggled in his preseason debut, while Jarrett Stidham took advantage of his opportunity in relief. Stidham completed 14 of 15 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception, while also leading the team with 36 rushing yards.
It was exactly the kind of performance Stidham needed as he entered his third season with the Broncos. Nix’s status as the franchise quarterback was never in doubt, but Denver still needed a reliable backup behind him. His performance against San Francisco helped establish him as the clear No. 2 quarterback heading into the regular season.
Several defensive players also used the opener as an opportunity to show what they could do. Nik Bonitto recorded a sack and a team-high two quarterback hits, John Franklin-Myers added a sack, and Ja'Quan McMillian intercepted a pass as several projected starters got valuable preseason work. Unlike some of the younger players competing for roster spots, these players were less focused on earning a job and more focused on building momentum heading into the regular season.
In hindsight, Bonitto was the most significant of that group. The outside linebacker continued developing into one of the Broncos’ most dangerous pass rushers, while McMillian remained an important member of Denver’s secondary. Franklin-Myers, meanwhile, provided the Broncos with another productive defensive lineman during the 2025 season before ultimately signing with the Tennessee Titans this offseason.
The biggest takeaway from Denver’s opener, though, was Stidham. His performance didn’t change the Broncos’ quarterback hierarchy, but it did provide an early indication that Denver had a capable backup who could keep the offense afloat if Nix were ever unavailable. That would prove particularly important later in the season.
Week 2 vs. Arizona Cardinals: The Depth Begins to Shine
The Broncos followed up their dominant opener with another convincing victory, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27-7 in the second week of the 2025 preseason. Bo Nix sat out the contest, giving Jarrett Stidham another opportunity to operate the offense, and the veteran quarterback once again made the most of it. Stidham completed 16 of 23 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
Stidham wasn’t the only quarterback who impressed, either. Sam Ehlinger entered in relief and completed 14 of 16 passes for 162 yards, giving Denver’s coaching staff another efficient performance to evaluate. While neither player was threatening Nix’s starting job, the performances reinforced the idea that the Broncos had legitimate depth behind their franchise quarterback.
Troy Franklin was arguably the biggest beneficiary of Stidham’s strong outing. The young wide receiver caught four passes for 67 yards and hauled in both of Stidham’s touchdown passes, providing another glimpse of the playmaking ability that had made him an intriguing part of Denver’s young receiving corps. Running back RJ Harvey also found the end zone on the ground while averaging six yards per carry, while inside linebacker Jordan Turner produced one of the game’s most disruptive defensive performances with five tackles, 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits, and a pass deflection.
Several of those performances translated into meaningful roles once the regular season arrived. Franklin went on to catch 65 passes for 709 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, finishing second on the Broncos in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Harvey was similarly productive, racking up 896 scrimmage yards and 12 total touchdowns during his rookie season, while Stidham retained his backup role and eventually found himself starting the 2025 AFC Championship Game after Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the Divisional Round.
Turner’s trajectory was a little different, and that’s part of what makes this game so interesting in hindsight. His dominant preseason showing demonstrated why Denver was willing to give young players opportunities, but a big preseason performance ultimately didn’t translate into a prominent regular-season role. The clash with Arizona ultimately served as a snapshot of what the Broncos had throughout their roster: plenty of depth, but not every preseason standout was destined to become a major contributor.
Week 3 @ New Orleans Saints: The Starters Get Their Tune-Up
Denver closed out its undefeated 2025 preseason with a 28-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints, and the approach was noticeably different from the first two games. Bo Nix played in what amounted to a dress rehearsal for the regular season, completing 10 of 14 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception. Courtland Sutton also made his presence felt, catching four passes for 83 yards and a touchdown.
For Nix and Sutton, the game wasn’t really about winning a roster spot or earning playing time. Both players were already firmly established as important pieces of the Broncos’ offense, and the primary objective was simply getting some live-game work before the regular season began. Sutton’s performance nevertheless offered an encouraging preview of what was to come in the 2025 regular season, when he caught 74 passes for 1,017 yards and seven touchdowns – earning his second Pro Bowl selection.
The more intriguing performances came from players fighting for their futures. Audric Estime rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, while outside linebacker Que Robinson recorded four tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss. Tyler Badie also contributed on special teams, returning two kickoffs for 72 yards.
Estime’s performance is particularly notable when viewed with the benefit of hindsight. Despite putting together a strong preseason finale, the running back was waived by Denver before the regular season and ultimately finished the 2025 campaign with New Orleans. His performance against the Saints is a perfect example of why preseason production alone isn’t enough to guarantee a roster spot.
Robinson and Badie faced similar challenges as they attempted to establish themselves in crowded position groups. Meanwhile, the Broncos got exactly what they wanted from their established starters: Nix and Sutton got some valuable work, avoided major mistakes and entered the regular season healthy. Denver’s undefeated 2025 preseason ultimately produced plenty of impressive performances, but the players’ eventual trajectories varied dramatically.
Key Takeaways
Looking back at the 2025 preseason, the biggest takeaway is that preseason success can mean very different things depending on a player’s situation. Established starters such as Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton were primarily using the games to prepare for the regular season, while players such as Jarrett Stidham, Troy Franklin, and RJ Harvey were auditioning for larger roles. Others, including Audric Estime and Jordan Turner, were competing simply to remain part of the roster.
That makes preseason statistics useful, but hardly definitive. A strong performance can reveal that a player is capable of contributing, but it doesn’t guarantee that he will have an opportunity to do so once the games begin to count. Coaches are evaluating much more than the box score, including how players fit within their schemes, perform on special teams, handle assignments and stack up against the rest of the roster.
Ultimately, that’s what makes revisiting the Broncos’ undefeated 2025 preseason so interesting. Some of the players who stood out in August became important contributors, while others were gone before the regular season even began. With Denver set to begin another preseason and its winning streak now at seven games, the challenge will be figuring out which of this year’s standout performances are actually a sign of things to come.
