The Denver Broncos were back at it for Day 6 of training camp on Thursday. On the heels of a very physical and intense practice the day prior, the Broncos opted for a non-padded practice.
Tight end Adam Trautman called Wednesday's the "best practice" he's been a part of since arriving in Denver three years ago, so it's understandable why the Broncos would schedule a dialed-down session without pads to follow.
Despite the intensity and emotions running high, Wednesday's practice didn't have any spill-over, in terms of teammate-on-teammate altercations. Head coach Sean Payton appreciates that.
“I think it’s up to us as coaches to clearly identify what we’re looking for," Payton said of ensuring that cooler heads prevail.
Let's get to Day 6's news and notes.
Wide receiver A.T. Perry (ankle/foot), linebacker Alex Singleton (thumb), and rush linebacker Que Robinson (unknown) missed practice. It was the second straight absence for Robinson.
Meanwhile, starting linebacker Dre Greenlaw exited practice with a limp. On the heels of that offseason quad injury Greenlaw suffered, Payton dismissed concerns of Thursday's being a serious injury, though.
“No, I think he’s fine. In the one-on-one period, he felt it got tight, a different area, and so we’ll know more," Payton said after practice. "We’ll go ahead and have all the precautionary work done, but I think he’ll be all right.”
After missing Day 5, Vele was back at it on Thursday. The second-year wideout looked good, hauling in some nice passes to help Bo Nix and the offense move the chains.
Exhale.
Rookie wide receiver Joaquin Davis is beginning to make waves. He had some terrific catches on Day 6, as Denver Sports' Andrew Mason chronicled afterward.
Joaquin Davis, if the Broncos can give him time, could really be something special. The ball just sticks in his hands. Like Velcro when it hits. His wingspan, his stride, his vertical, his speed … man, this dude has some tools. The @NCCU_Football product has got serious…
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) July 31, 2025
Keep an eye out for the 6-foot-4 Davis, rocking the No. 80 jersey. He might make some roster decisions a bit tougher on the Broncos at the end of next month.
After the Broncos defense won back-to-back days of practice, Nix and company delivered a counterpunch on Thursday. In red-zone work during the final team period, Nix was surgical, connecting on five touchdowns, according to KOA Radio's Ryan Edwards.
Make no mistake, though; the defense has more skins on the wall since camp began than the offense.
Fresh ✍️ from @bonix10 #BroncosCamp pic.twitter.com/5pxzlCOIUi
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) July 31, 2025
It's not the first time this point about Engram has been covered in the notebook, but he's obviously going to play a big role in this offense. Nix looked his way often on Day 6, and connected with Engram multiple times.
Courtland Sutton may continue to be Nix's primary security blanket, but when the chips are down, Engram could become just as reliable. He's a two-time Pro Bowler seemingly custom-made for the Payton offense.
The referees on hand were very involved on Day 6, throwing multiple flags for misalignments pre-snap. It's good experience and quite educational for the Broncos, preparing the team for the regular season.
“So here’s what happens. The officials get in the night before every year, they’ll have a video, they’ll show the team, and then in the team meeting, they’ll talk about the rule changes, points of emphasis. This year was a little calmer," Payton said after practice. "So after three days of being here, hands-on starts with the evening meeting, and it’s been pretty standard for as long as I can remember... So making sure everyone’s on the same page there. It’s great to have a crew here and work with them. I think it’s good for those guys as well. I think they get better for it.”
Training camp is the format for mistakes. The idea is to get them out now so that everyone understands some of the finer nuances when the regular season rolls around. It's helpful all around, but especially when it comes to the NFL's annual rule changes, which weren't too rigorous this year.
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