Patrick Surtain II has built an impressive resume in just five seasons.

The Denver Broncos defensive back has made four Pro Bowls, been first-team All-Pro twice, second-team once and was only the seventh cornerback to win AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, earning the award after the 2024 season.

Surtain now has been voted the top NFL cornerback for the second straight year by The Associated Press in a preseason survey.

Surtain received seven first-place votes from a panel of eight AP pro football writers who ranked the top five players at the position, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.

Derek Stingley Jr. got the other first-place vote and finished second. Quinyon Mitchell and Devon Witherspoon tied for third, and Trent McDuffie and Sauce Gardner tied for fifth.

Surtain has become an elite player at a premier position. He allowed 31 receptions and a 66.5 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks in 2025.

Surtain had one interception, mainly because teams dont throw his direction. He missed three games with a pec strain but returned in the playoffs to help the Broncos reach the AFC championship game.

Stingley earned All-Pro for the second straight season, and has developed into one of the leagues best cover cornerbacks for Houstons stingy defense.

He had four interceptions, allowed 34 receptions in coverage and broke up nine passes in coverage last season. Opposing quarterbacks had just a 67.4 passer rating against him.

Stingley was selected one spot ahead of Sauce Gardner at No. 3 overall in the 2022 draft.

He got five second-place votes and appeared on seven ballots.

Mitchell earned All-Pro honors in just his second season in the NFL.

He gave up 36 catches in coverage, broke up seven passes and QBs had just a 58.4 passer rating against him. Mitchell doesnt have an interception in the regular season but hes snagged four picks in five playoff games for the Eagles.

Mitchell appeared on six ballots.

Witherspoon made his third Pro Bowl in three seasons, earned second-team All-Pro honors and helped Seattle win the Super Bowl.

He surrendered 46 receptions in coverage and QBs had a 99.8 passer rating against him. Witherspoon appeared on four ballots.

McDuffie has been one of the leagues best slot cornerbacks in his first four seasons in Kansas City, helping the Chiefs win two Super Bowls and play in another one.

McDuffie was a first-team All-Pro slot cornerback in 2023 and a second-team choice in 2024. The Rams acquired him for a package of draft picks, including No. 29 overall in this April's draft.

He allowed 37 passes in coverage, broke up four and had one pick. He allowed a 94.7 passer rating when targeted.

McDuffie appeared on three ballots.

The two-time All-Pro was traded from the Jets to the Colts in a blockbuster deal for two first-round picks midway through last season but played in only four games for his new team because of a calf injury.

Gardner received three votes.

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The Denver Broncos announced Tuesday that fans will have a chance to check out the 2026 squad for the first time at 14 open training camp practices, beginning on Friday, July 31.

New this year at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit shade! With the construction of the teams new training facility, the fan-viewing location will be on the north end of the practice fields and will include shaded bleacher seating.

The one caveat is only 1,000 fans will be allowed in per practice, which means free mobile ticketing will be required for entry. To ensure as many fans as possible can attend training camp, fans may reserve tickets for up to two of the 14 total practices.

Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, July 1 at 10 a.m. at TicketMaster.com. Practices begin at 10 a.m. with parking lots open at 8 a.m. and gates opening at 9 a.m.

Click here to learn more.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) The Denver Broncos kicked off their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday with a notable attendee quarterback Bo Nix, who's returning from two ankle surgeries and a notable absentee Jonathon Cooper, who's dealing with a pair of domestic violence arrests this month.

Nix returned to practice, albeit on a limited basis, for the first time since breaking his right ankle late in overtime of the Broncos' divisional playoff win over the Buffalo Bills in January.

It was great, said Nix, who underwent a cleanup procedure this spring rather than pushing it off until next offseason. I'm sort of glad we got it all out of the way, don't have to do it in the years to come. But football's a physical game, so there's no telling what will come up, but for right now I feel really good about the steps I'm making and I'm going to be just fine.

Asked if he thinks he'll be full-go by training camp in late July, Nix laughed, saying, Yeah, I could go full-go right now if they wanted me to.

Instead, he participated in individual drills with the rest of the starters but sat out 11-on-11 sessions where backups Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger split snaps.

He's doing well, he's doing real well, coach Sean Payton said, adding he has no doubt the third-year pro will be the same mobile quarterback he was before the surgery and cleanup procedure.

Some of his superpowers an ability to move and not get sacked, find throws I don't think any of that will be impacted at all, Payton said. He's working extremely hard on this recovery and I think he's more than ahead of schedule.

Nix concurred, saying his ankle is like new and so maybe hell be even more elusive in the pocket.

They say it's back healthy, as good as new and I haven't really been like that in a couple of years, so my concern is maybe I'll move around a little bit better, Nix cracked.

Nix returned to an offense that underwent major changes since last year's 15-4 campaign. Payton promoted quarterbacks coach Davis Webb to offensive coordinator and handed him play-calling duties. The Broncos traded for speedy wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and they drafted bruising running back Jonah Coleman.

As for Waddle's addition, Nix said, there's an element of explosiveness that I think as an offense we've lacked for a couple of years. ... You just can't replace speed and that's what he brings to the table. ... A guy like that makes everybody on the offense better.

As for Payton giving up play-calling duties, Nix said it'll sort of be like Payton is his position coach and can focus on teaching him rather than spending so much of his time on the game plans and play calls.

Nix realizes that quarterbacks get outsized attention and a QB's injury is a trending topic throughout the offseason, but for one, nobody's ever really cared about me this extensively for a long time, he said.

I've got little kids at the park asking me if my legs are crooked and all, Nix said. ... but at the end of the day, I've been here before, I feel great. I'm going to be fast, elusive. Everything that I've done in the past I'm going to be able to do again. I mean, it's a broken bone for crying out loud. Everybody here has probably had an issue with a broken bone and you heal up right back the same.

So, what did he tell the kid who wondered if his ankles were crooked?

I asked him, Does it look like my ankles are crooked? And he sort of gave me a good no. Thank God he didn't say yes.

Meanwhile, the Broncos are having Cooper stay away from the three-day minicamp that closes their offseason program ahead of training camp after the veteran linebacker was arrested twice in one week on domestic violence charges.

We excused him from this minicamp, Payton said. Hes taking this time, obviously hes got to work on himself and the clubs very much in tune to the league office, the local authorities here and weve had several meetings.

Clearly from an ownership standpoint, head coach, organizationally, theres a bar that we have and an expectation that we have thats very high, Payton added. Well consider all of that as we continue to (monitor his situation), and I think itll take a little bit of time but were continuing to go through that process and we take it very seriously.

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A construction worker died after being found unresponsive at the site of the Denver Broncos' new training facility, according to the Arapahoe County sheriff's office.

Deputies responded to the facility, located at 13409 E. Broncos Parkway, around 8:20 p.m. Monday after the man was found by his co-workers in "a confined ceiling area," the sheriff's office said.

"Despite rescue efforts, the man was pronounced deceased at the scene," the post from the sheriff's office said.

The cause and manner of death are still under investigation, officials said.

A spokesperson for Turner Construction Company, which is leading construction at the site, said work at the site was suspended "as we support the investigation into the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident."

"This is a heartbreaking loss for the worker's family, loved ones, friends, colleagues, and all those impacted by this tragedy," Chris McFadden, the company's VP of communications, adding that counseling and support were available to those impacted by the death.

The Denver Broncos are heartbroken to learn a subcontractor working on our new training center passed away Monday while on-site, the team said in a statement. We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the individuals family, coworkers and friends during this difficult time.

Denver Broncos' outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper was booked into jail again Thursday night after being arrested last week on domestic violence and criminal mischief charges.

We are disappointed to learn of Jonathon Coopers arrest on Thursday and continue to review this matter, the Denver Broncos told Denver7 Friday morning.

Thursday night, Cooper was arrested for violation of the protection order put in place following his last arrest, the public information officer for the 23

Judicial District Tom Mustin said.

According to last week's arrest affidavit, Cooper got into a fight with his girlfriend who he's been in an off-and-on again relationship with for about four years. Cooper's girlfriend was inside his apartment confronting him of cheating allegations, the affidavit reads.

Both of them were arrested on misdemeanor charges of domestic violence and criminal mischief. Cooper was brought to jail, and the girlfriend was transported to Anschutz Hospital for a forensic nurse exam.

Cooper appeared from the Douglas County jail Friday morning for his court appearance with his attorney Harvey Steinberg. The district attorney's office asked the judge for a full no-contact order and that Cooper relinquish firearms.

Attorney Ron Gainor was also in Douglas County court to represent Cooper's girlfriend.

"We are obviously concerned about the contact that happened yesterday that was extensive," Gainor said.

A $5,000 PR bond was issued for Cooper, and no GPS monitoring was ordered as originally requested by Gainor. Cooper's next court appearance was scheduled for July 14 at 9 a.m.

The Denver Broncos have signed a new five-year contract with head coach Sean Payton, the franchise announced Thursday morning. Broncos Owner and CEO Greg Penner said this secures Payton through the 2030 season.

"Sean Payton has led an impressive turnaround over the past three seasons, instilling a winning culture with high expectations," Penner said. "We're thrilled for Sean to continue leading our team as head coach, building on our progress during such an exciting time for the Broncos."

Watch this story in the video below:

Broncos owner Greg Penner backed Payton after playoff heartbreak last season when quarterback Bo Nix broke his ankle and the team fell 10-7 loss against the New England Patriots in the AFC championship with backup QB Jarrett Stidham. Payton's fourth-down gamble ahead of a blizzard was called into question for derailing the team's Super Bowl dreams.

The franchise pointed to Thursday, though, how Payton led the team to their first AFC West title in 10 years in 2025. The Broncos tied a franchise record with 14 wins in the regular season last season with an 11-game winning streak, reestablishing a strong homefield advantage, going 9-2 at Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos also had six All-Pro players under Payton's reign.

He joined the Broncos in 2023 after spending 15 seasons as head coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2006 to 2021. There, he led the Saints to seven NFC south Division titles and a 2009 Super Bowl win.

Before that, Payton was an assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach with the Dallas Cowboys for four years. He coached quarterbacks and was offensive coordinator for the New York Giants.

Related coverage:

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) Denver Broncos pass rusher Jonathon Cooper pleaded not guilty Monday in a domestic violence case stemming from an altercation with his girlfriend.

Cooper will have a motions hearing in a Douglas County courtroom on July 6 with the potential for a jury trial on July 22, just before the Broncos report for training camp.

Cooper's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said the defense doesn't plan to file a motion to dismiss the charges and requested a trial date as soon as possible so that Cooper wouldn't have to miss any training camp workouts.

Cooper, 28, and his girlfriend were arrested Thursday night by Parker police and both were booked into jail early Friday morning, according to Douglas County jail records. Cooper was held on suspicion of criminal mischief with a domestic violence enhancer. His girlfriend was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence and petty criminal mischief.

The arrests followed an argument and physical confrontation between Cooper and his girlfriend over cell phones that were damaged in the scuffle after she accused him of infidelity, according to a police affidavit.

Cooper had his first appearance Friday in the 23rd Judicial District Court and was released later that day on a personal recognizance bond.

Over the weekend, Cooper posted a Bible verse about anger on his Instagram account and wrote, I apologize to my family and my friends and my community. ... And so many others. He added, I realize positing a bible (verse) after something very serious happens does not just mean everything is okay.

In another post, Cooper wrote, "I apologize. This situation is not who I am.

Besides the legal case, Cooper could also potentially be subject to discipline under the NFLs personal conduct policy.

A seventh-round draft pick out of Ohio State in 2021, Cooper is entering his sixth season with the Broncos. He has started every game since 2023 and has 31 1/2 career sacks. Hes had at least eight sacks in each of the last three seasons, including a career-best 10 1/2 sacks in 2024 when he signed a four-year, $54 million contract extension.

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DENVER Denver Broncos' outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, as well as his girlfriend, have been arrested on charges of domestic violence and criminal mischief.

The 28-year-old from Ohio State was arrested by officers with the Parker Police Department late Thursday and booked into the Douglas County detention facility around 2:30 a.m. Friday, according to jail records. He is being held on suspicion of two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief. All three are misdemeanors.

Watch Denver7's latest breaking report on this development in the story below.

According to an arrest affidavit Denver7 obtained, police responded to the 9500 block of S. Twenty Mile Road in Parker and contacted Cooper and his girlfriend. The document reads that they have been in a relationship on and off for about four years. They were inside Cooper's apartment when his girlfriend confronted him with cheating allegations, the affidavit reads.

She told authorities she grabbed his phone from his hands and threw it across the living room, damaging the case and wall. She picked the phone off the ground and "was able to go through his phone and observed content out of her own curiosity for closure or clarity," the affidavit reads. Cooper wanted his phone back.

At some point, they got into a physical struggle near the front door of the apartment. Cooper told authorities he grabbed her upper arms and got his phone, but she kept trying to take it back, the document reads.

"Jonathan told (the officer) that he braced his neck against (her) neck to prevent her from getting his phone," the affidavit reads. "As of this report, there is no probable cause for harassment or assault charges given conflicting statements and lack of specific physical evidence."

Cooper told authorities that he picked up her phone and said if she did not leave the apartment, he would break her phone.

"Jonathan admitted that (his girlfriend) did not leave and he bit (her) phone, causing disabling damage," the affidavit reads. "I observed (her) iPhone 17, valued at approximately $830, to have a cracked screen. (Her) statements corroborated this portion of the incident."

Both of them were arrested on misdemeanor charges of domestic violence and criminal mischief. Cooper was brought to the jail. The girlfriend was transported to Anschutz Hospital for a forensic nurse exam.

When Denver7 contacted the Broncos for a statement about this incident, they said: "We are aware of the matter and are gathering more information."

As a seventh-round draft pick in 2021, Cooper is entering his sixth season with the Broncos, the Associated Press reports. He has started every game since 2023 and has 31 1/2 career sacks, including eight last season when he also registered a sack in the playoffs. He had a career-best 10 1/2 sacks in 2024 and late that season signed a four-year, $54 million contract extension, the AP reports.

According to court documents, he has a court hearing on June 8.

The Broncos plan to build their new stadium at Burnham Yard has dominos falling in Denver. One has some pedestrian advocates on the citys West Side concerned.

The stadium plan is forcing Denver Water to relocate some of their facilities from the Burnham Yard area to other parts of town.

The utility wants to move its Operations Complex what it calls an essential part of our emergency response operations, serving the downtown area to what is now known as Parking Lot M outside Empower Field at Mile High, at the southeast corner of the Colfax-Federal cloverleaf interchange.

Denver Water said the Broncos would pay for that construction, and the relocation site is ideal as a central location with good access.

While we were willing to be flexible and relocate certain operations facilities a bit further out, it was critical to us that we keep certain operations and personnel in the urban core so that we can maintain the highest level of service to our customers and quick response times in emergencies, the utility said in a statement to Denver7.

But some pedestrian advocates are pushing back.

Director of Economic Development for the West Colfax Business Improvement District Dan Shah said he believes there are other sites that would fit Denver Waters needs for their Operations Complex. He believes building that facility on Parking Lot M would disrupt a roughly decade-long plan to transform the Colfax-Federal interchange, to make it safer, more walkable and home to more housing.

The long-discussed changes would also make the historically working class Sun Valley neighborhood better connected to its west side neighbors and create a safer environment for pedestrians walking in the area.

There's been so much planning, so much community consensus, really sort of focused on the community's priorities around what should happen in this interchange and around, surrounds, Shah explained. It seems very, you know, sort of unplanned to then say, Okay, we're going to put a lay-down yard that's incompatible.

Shah said ideally, the interchange would look like every other intersection that you might find on Federal on the West Side, just blending into the surrounding neighborhoods and providing safe passage for bikes and wheelchairs and pedestrians.

Lot M is located next to the headquarters for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), which earned a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportations Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) to study potential changes to the interchange and commence engineering design.

Shah said he supports the Broncos Burnham Yard move and Denver Waters goal of a central location for their new operations facility, but he is not convinced the cloverleaf transformation and the Lot M relocation can coexist in large part due to a grading issue between the interchange and adjacent parking lot.

Both the utility and CDOT, however, say it is possible. In a Thursday letter to Denver City Council member Jamie Torres, who represents the west side, CDOT said it has heard the communitys concerns about the interchange.

We want to make clear that the Lot M property would not interfere with possible changes further to the west at the interchange itself, the letter said. We also appreciate that Denver Water has made clear that they do not intend to occupy Lot M in a way that would preclude alternatives in the study for Colfax and Federal, and like them, we anticipate the ability to collaborate on our respective needs and find solutions as our study process moves along.

The CDOT letter states, given the compressed timeline of the Broncos' plan, it makes the most sense to align the timing of CDOTs study of the interchange with related recommended changes to the future of the Stadium District and possible revisions to the West Area Plan.

While we understand the urgency many feel to address the longstanding frustrations with the cloverleaf interchange, we cannot ignore the strong possibility of changes to the Stadium District in the near future, and we look forward to complementary study processes that avoid the inefficiencies of duplicative taxpayer expense, the letter adds.

All of these groups say this is an issue they will keep discussing though the clock is ticking. The Broncos plan to build and open their new stadium by 2031.

Shah hopes the community is not left out of the planning, as he explains was the case when the interchange was first built and hundreds of people and businesses were displaced.

From our standpoint, that sort of heightens the importance of trying to find, you know, a solution that is in this case that doesn't, you know, sort of repeat those kind of oversights of community input that happened in the past, Shah said.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) The Denver Broncos are back on the football field for the first time since losing the AFC championship game to New England with Bo Nix watching from a suite with his surgically repaired right ankle in a cast.

Nix is still sidelined following a second procedure on his right ankle but he was on the field Thursday, throwing some passes but mostly watching backups Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger incorporate offseason acquisition Jaylen Waddle into the offense.

He's had a good week, coach Sean Payton said of Waddle, the speedy receiver the Broncos acquired in a trade with the Miami Dolphins this spring. He's someone who picks things up real quick. He had a real good day yesterday and you can just feel his instincts and his quickness and his ability to not only run fast but to stop fast.

Waddle is expected to work with Nix by the time the Broncos hold their minicamp in two weeks.

I mean, you don't see (Nix) in pre-practice, but he's been throwing and I do think in our third week .... you'll see more of a role, Payton said.

The Broncos were the last team to actually take the field during their offseason training program, which for them has consisted of workouts indoors until Tuesday when they embarked on football drills.

Before working on his chemistry with Nix, Waddle has been developing a rapport with his No. 1 wide receiver counterpart Courtland Sutton.

Yeah, it's been fun, Sutton said. Being able to see him up close, he's a special dude. ... He has some qualities that only he can do. ... He has tremendous speed. His speed and acceleration paired together are top tier. His understanding of the offense, his understanding of football ... his run after the catch is top tier.

Waddle said he envisions he and Sutton delivering a great 1-2 punch.

Courtland's an elite playmaker, Waddle said. Anytime you have an elite playmaker on the other side, it just makes it easy, someone that the defense has to be looking for and vice versa.

While he's eager to work with Nix on the field, it's apparent the two have already started developing chemistry.

Bo is definitely a competitor, he loves talking ball, he loves being around the guys," Waddle said. I think he's a great leader. I can just see the traits from him day to day and if he sees something he's going to tell me about it and then we're going to pick each other's brains, try to get on the same page as best we can.

The Broncos gave star cornerback Pat Surtain II a $5 million raise this season through a contract adjustment. Surtain also can earn another $5 million if he's an All-Pro or Pro Bowl selection. He's a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler.

Hes obviously someone that we feel like is elite and at the top of his position, Payton said. And part of that is the salary cap and how that fluctuates and moves, especially in the last three years.

The Broncos are finally out from under the record $85 million dead cap hit they incurred by releasing Russell Wilson, allowing them to make moves as they did with Surtain.

It feels good, Payton said. Look, it's important. It's hard to do that with dead money and when you do that with a record-setting amount, it's a credit to everyone, the young players, the coaches, the scouts, and so I don't know that anyone can feel or see it, but certainly it exists when it pertains to your budget.

The ninth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Surtain has a dozen interceptions and 59 pass breakups in his five seasons as a pro.

Surtain is entering the first season of a four-year, $96 million extension he signed in 2024, which at the time made him the league's highest-paid cornerback based on average annual salary. He has since been surpassed by Jaycee Horn, Trent McDuffie, Sauce Gardner, Derek Stingley Jr., and Jalen Ramsey.

The Broncos open the season with a tough six-game stretch beginning with a game at Kansas City followed by five weeks of games against 2025 playoff teams, but Payton said he doesn't believe the league was being punitive.

Asked if he's upset someone in the league office, Payton, cracked, No, that happened a long time ago.

Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 NFL season due to his involvement in the New Orleans Saints Bountygate scandal.

After a visit to Kansas City, the Broncos host the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams before visiting the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers. After that, they host the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

We'll get to see where we're at early, Waddle said.

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DENVER Before the Denver Broncos begin another season with lofty expectations, linebacker Alex Singleton already has a victory to celebrate.

Singletons second annual cornhole tournament raised nearly $15,000 for Special Olympics Colorado, continuing a partnership that has been deeply personal throughout his life.

The event drew 20 more teams than last year, a sign of its growing popularity and impact.

To have a second annual is awesome, Singleton said. It means the first one went well, and we have 20 more teams this year, which means 40 more people playing cornhole.

But for Singleton, the day has always been about more than competition.

Special Olympics has been part of my family my entire life, he said. My older sister has Down syndrome, so shes been a Special Olympics athlete her entire life. Any city Ive gone to, I make sure to reach out to them almost before I sign a contract.

That connection has followed Singleton throughout his football career and was one of the first things he focused on after re-signing with Denver this offseason.

Right after I re-signed, the first text was to Tiffany and Megan with Special Olympics to be able to do this again, Singleton said. Being in the community is so important to me.

The fundraiser comes as Singleton prepares for a season in which the Broncos are expected to contend in the AFC after reaching the brink of the Super Bowl last season.

Singleton said continuity could be one of Denvers biggest strengths.

What Sean [Payton] said since Day 1, hes going to keep the guys here, theyre going to win football games for us, and hes done that, Singleton said. Weve had a year of winning where we got close. Instead of trying to fix something that isnt broken with new pieces, we kind of put the band back together.

He believes the Broncos will enter the season with a different challenge: handling the expectations that come with success.

Were the target now in the AFC, Singleton said. Everyones going to want to beat us. Everyones going to want to knock us down. Its our job to remember that, practice and prepare with that target on our back, and go do what we want to do.

For at least one day, however, football took a back seat.

Guided by the Special Olympics athlete oath Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt Singleton helped raise thousands of dollars for Special Olympics Colorado, giving him a meaningful win long before the Broncos take the field this fall.

The Broncos are one step closer to a new stadium at Burnham Yard after the team finalized a formal agreement with CDOT to buy the old railyard.

"We are pleased to finalize a formal agreement with CDOT to purchase the Burnham Yard site with a closing expected this fall," Broncos spokesperson Patrick Smyth said in a statement. "As this remains the preferred site, we remain optimistic that our collaboration with the city, state and community will keep everything on track for 2031.

WATCH: Denver7's Claire Lavezzorio breaks down the agreement

The team first announced the railyard as its preferred site in September 2025. The agreement puts the price tag on the 58-acre parcel at $45.8 million.

CDOT purchased the site in 2021 for $50 million.

"As part of the sale process, the state received the proceeds that will ensure our obligations to lenders are fully covered. We look forward to continue working together on remaining steps," a CDOT spokesperson said in a statement.

The stadium and the surrounding mixed-use are set to be funded by Broncos ownership, with the city and state providing "support for public improvements, with no new taxes," according to the city.

There are still several pieces that need to come together for the full development, including an agreement with Denver Water, which will need to relocate facilities to make way for the new stadium and surrounding area.

Denver Water officials have said they are "committed to helping make Burnham Yard home of the new stadium, with the understanding that any impacted Denver Water facilities need to be fully replaced to the same high-quality standards, and at no expense to Denver Waters ratepayers or adverse impacts to our operations."

The target opening for the stadium is 2031.

DENVER The Denver Broncos 2026 schedule is out, and it features five nationally televised games plus appearances in all three primetime formats TNF, SNF and MNF for the fifth time in seven seasons. Denver will also play in special holiday windows on Black Friday and Christmas Day.

Denver opens the season on the road at Kansas City on Monday Night Football on Denver7 the first time in franchise history theyve started a season in KC. Historically, the Broncos are strong in openers, holding the NFLs best Week 1 winning percentage (.641) since 1960.

Denver7 Sports Director Lionel Bienvenu breaks down the Broncos schedule in the video player below:

The home opener comes in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 20.

NEW YORK (AP) The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs will play Sept. 14 in the first game of ESPN's Monday Night Football schedule.

The Chiefs will host the Broncos in Kansas City.

The Cincinnati Bengals will play the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid on Nov. 8 as part of the NFL-record nine international games in 2026 spanning span four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums. This game announced Tuesday afternoon will be played at Bernabu Stadium, home of Real Madrid C.F.

The NFL will be playing at Bernabu Stadium for a second straight season. Miami beat Washington in Madrid last year.

One unknown is whether two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes will be available for the Chiefs' season opener. His goal is to be ready for Week 1. The Chiefs quarterback tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee on Dec. 14 in the final minutes of a loss to the Chargers, which effectively eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention.

Quarterback Bo Nix is expected to be ready for training camp after breaking a bone in his right ankle on Jan. 18 during the AFC playoffs. Denver finished last season losing the AFC championship game to New England.

More matchups will be revealed before the NFL releases the complete schedule Thursday night.

The trio of games announced Monday came as NBC, Fox and Prime Video made their upfront presentations to advertisers. The Buffalo Bills first regular-season game in their new stadium will be against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 17 and will kick off Amazon Prime Videos Thursday Night Football schedule.

The Dallas Cowboys were part of the other two unveilings. The Cowboys will visit the New York Giants in the first NBC Sunday Night Football game of the season on Sept. 13 and they will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox on Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 26.

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DENVER Former Broncos quarterback and Ring of Famer Craig Morton has died at age 83, the Broncos announced Monday.

He passed away on May 9, his family confirmed.

Morton played for the Broncos for six seasons (1977-82) and delivered the franchises first playoff berth, two division titles, and three postseason appearances.

For his performance during that 1977 season, Morton was named the AFC's Offensive Player of the Year, PFWA Comeback Player of the Year, and NFL UPI MVP.

He played through a painful hip injury during the AFC Championship win that sent Denver to Super Bowl XII.

"Craig Morton is unbelievable," said Ring of Famer Haven Moses following the Broncos' first AFC Championship, according to a 1978 New York Times article. "To me, he's the most valuable player in the National Football League this year."

Morton retired as the Broncos alltime leader in passing yards, touchdowns, attempts, and completions, and still ranks third in regularseason wins.

Morton was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1988, alongside Moses and Jim Turner. He was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.

Before Denver, Morton played for the Cowboys and Giants, finishing his NFL career with 183 touchdowns, nearly 28,000 passing yards, and 81 wins.

A standout at the University of California, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

Morton passed away surrounded by his loved ones in Mill Valley, California.

He is survived by his wife, Kym; his sister; his children; and his grandchildren.