The preseason for the Denver Broncos is now complete. The Broncos wrapped up their three-game preseason on Saturday with a 41-0 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Despite the strong showing for Denver, the inevitable is now here: final cuts for the 53-man roster. Each coach and team in the NFL has to go through this process to get the right men they believe will help compete for a Super Bowl.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton knows the task, building contending teams with the New Orleans Saints for over a decade. But he knows he has to make tough decisions with the roster spots. The Broncos have until Tuesday, August 29th, to get their roster to 53.
“It’s always difficult this time of year,” Payton said of the upcoming cuts. “That hasn’t changed in 16 years for me. I typically meet with every player. I was on the other side of that four times in the preseason. Pretty soon, my mom said, ‘You need to start coaching or do something else.’ I think that the dream for so many of these guys is still alive even if it’s not here.
“The thing that keeps — I don’t want to stay up at night — but making sure we find the right 53 [players]. You don’t want to lose a player when you had control over it and then have him have success somewhere else. I credit the players. A lot of guys will make this [decision] challenging with their efforts tonight. During the week, really even last week. It’s always difficult.”
While challenging, the Broncos will be one step closer to starting their Super Bowl chase for the 2023 NFL season after cuts. Some of the players who are let go early this week will be candidates to return on the practice squad. Denver’s regular-season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders is exactly two weeks away.
