Sam Ehlinger throws three touchdowns, Cody Schrader produces 132 yards from scrimmage and rookie Justin Joly delivers an 88-yard score as Denver finishes the preseason 2-1.
DENVER — The scoreboard said preseason. For a number of Denver Broncos fighting for their NFL future Friday night, it was anything but meaningless.
With most of Denver’s established starters watching from the sideline, the Broncos rolled past the Minnesota Vikings 34-6 at Empower Field at Mile High in their final preseason game, giving head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton one final evaluation before the roster is trimmed to 53 players.
Denver scored on both of Jarrett Stidham’s possessions, watched Sam Ehlinger rebound from an early interception to throw three touchdown passes and received statement performances from several players battling for spots at the bottom of one of the deeper rosters the Broncos have assembled in recent years.
Payton compared the final preseason opportunity to an audition, challenging players before the game to “make us spin the chair.”
Several of them did.
Ehlinger makes his final case
Stidham started in place of Bo Nix and efficiently moved Denver down the field on each of his two possessions.
The veteran completed 6-of-9 passes for 78 yards while directing a field-goal drive and an 87-yard touchdown march capped by Adam Prentice’s 1-yard run. Denver led 10-0 after the first quarter.
Then came Ehlinger.
His night could hardly have started worse. His first pass was intercepted by Minnesota cornerback Kahlef Hailassie, giving the Vikings favorable field position.
It didn’t linger.
Ehlinger responded by completing 15-of-20 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns, producing one of Denver’s strongest individual performances of the preseason.
His first touchdown came during a sharp two-minute drill late in the first half. Ehlinger moved Denver 65 yards in five plays before finding Jaleel McLaughlin crossing the middle for a 20-yard touchdown that sent the Broncos into halftime leading 20-6.
In the second half, Ehlinger extended plays with his legs and found Cody Schrader for a 14-yard touchdown on fourth down.
The play highlighted one of the traits Payton believes can be difficult to fully evaluate during practice.
“I was excited for him,” Payton said of Ehlinger afterward.
Ehlinger saved his biggest throw for last.
With Denver backed up near its own goal line, rookie tight end Justin Joly broke free through Minnesota’s secondary. Ehlinger found him in stride, and Joly raced the rest of the way for an 88-yard touchdown that pushed the Broncos’ advantage to 34-6.
Schrader refuses to be overlooked
If Friday night was about forcing Denver’s decision-makers to take another look, Cody Schrader accomplished exactly that.
The third-year running back finished with a team-high 132 yards from scrimmage, rushing for 42 yards while catching six passes for another 90. His touchdown reception from Ehlinger capped a 17-play, 85-yard drive and gave Denver a 27-6 fourth-quarter lead.
Schrader consistently turned available space into extra yardage and became a major piece of Denver’s offense as the game progressed.
His performance arrives at an interesting time for a Broncos running back room with limited roster spots available. Regardless of how the final numbers shake out, Schrader gave Denver — and potentially the rest of the league — fresh tape to evaluate.
Joly delivers the biggest play of the night
Joly entered the finale as part of a crowded tight end competition.
He left it responsible for the longest offensive play of Denver’s preseason.
The rookie fifth-round pick out of NC State recognized Minnesota’s coverage, ran through the middle of the defense and suddenly found himself completely uncovered downfield.
“It’s like an open layup in basketball,” Joly said afterward.
He finished the play.
The 88-yard touchdown gave Denver its final points of the night and added another wrinkle to a tight end room Payton acknowledged remains one of the team’s more difficult roster decisions.
“It’s a deep room,” Payton said.
Denver’s defense closes the door
The Broncos didn’t need many of their defensive headliners to control Minnesota.
The Vikings scored just six points, were shut out in the second half and never reached the end zone.
Linebacker Karene Reid continued a productive preseason with five tackles, while edge rusher Que Robinson consistently created pressure. Rookie Parker Robertson also flashed late with a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
Denver also received a special-teams spark from rookie receiver Kolbe Katsis, who broke loose for a 48-yard kickoff return as players across the roster searched for ways to prove their value beyond their primary positions.
It was a significant response after Denver’s 33-13 preseason loss to Green Bay one week earlier.
The Broncos finished Friday with 34 points, allowed only six and committed just three penalties.
From evaluation to elimination
Now comes the difficult part.
Denver finished the preseason 2-1, beating Atlanta and Minnesota around the loss to Green Bay. But preseason records will become irrelevant quickly as the Broncos turn toward the players who will actually be on the field when the regular season begins.
NFL rosters must be reduced to 53 players by Sunday, and Payton made clear Friday that his attention will be centered on identifying the correct group rather than simply focusing on who gets released.
For players like Ehlinger, Schrader, Joly and others who received extended opportunities against Minnesota, there was nothing more they could do once the clock hit zero.
The film is finished.
The evaluations are nearly finished.
And after a 34-6 win in the preseason finale, several Broncos made Denver’s final decisions a little more difficult.
The next time the Broncos take the field, it counts.
Denver opens the 2026 regular season on Monday, Sept. 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
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