Worldwide Sports News

The preseason is finally done! Next up, Kansas City.

After a disappointing showing last week, the Broncos ended the preseason with a dominating 34-6 victory over the Vikings. It was a typical third preseason game that saw the vast majority of the starters sit out the game and the backups get some playing time in ahead of cut day.

As for the winners and losers, this game is a tough one to navigate. Most roster decisions are likely already decided, and players in a good spot either do not play or don’t play much at all. We all witnessed tight end Albert O. have a big game in the preseason finale, only to be cut a few days later and not make the practice squad.

With that said, here are my winners and losers from the Denver Broncos’ 34-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings

WINNER – RB Cody Schrader

Schrader isn’t making the 53-man roster, and honestly, wasn’t on many people’s radar for a spot on the practice squad, but that all likely changes after tonight.

The reserve running back had the game of his career tonight, where he totaled 132 total yards from scrimmage (42 yards rushing and 90 receiving yards) and 1 touchdown.

This was the Cody Schrader game.

CODY MFN SCHRADER TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/GoL2zNOfD9

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026

He looked elusive, had good vision, ran hard, and made plays in the passing game. The highlight of his night was getting open on a broken play and catching a wide-open touchdown from quarterback Sam Ehlinger.

Coming into the night, he was a borderline practice squad player, and it’s unclear if this performance changes that, but he certainly made the decision tougher for the Broncos coaches. As Sean Payton said at halftime and after the game, this game is like The Voice.

“Make us spin the chair”.

Cody Schrader may have done that tonight.

WINNER – WR Pat Bryant and RB Jonah Coleman

I’ll keep this short and sweet, but neither player played tonight, which is great news for both players. A clear sign that Bryant locked down the WR3 job and that rookie running back Jonah Coleman will have a role in this offense.

WINNER – QB Sam Ehlinger

Veteran Jarrett Stidham started the game and looked decent. He improved on his disappointing performance vs. the Packers, but only played a handful of drives before handing things off to Sam Ehlinger for the rest of the game.

Well, it didn’t start off great for the Broncos’ third-string quarterback. He threw an ugly interception on his first pass of the game. Not what you want to see from a player fighting for a spot on this roster.

However, Ehlinger didn’t let that mistake keep him down, and he had a pretty good game overall. He finished the game going 15 of 20 for 233 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Sam Ehlinger with a dime to Dane Key pic.twitter.com/enmuJ0ZsSd

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026

When asked after the game if they will keep three quarterbacks, Payton told reporters, “We’ll see.” Ultimately, I believe they should keep two on the 53 and do what they did last season with Ehlinger as the third quarterback who will bounce on and off the practice squad.

As for the backup competition, I don’t think he did enough, and Stidham played ahead of him throughout the preseason. I believe it’s more about whether or not they will keep 2 or 3 quarterbacks, and Ehlinger made a strong case tonight.

LOSER – RB Jaleel McLaughlin

This isn’t a performance-related loser. It’s the fact that the Broncos sat three running backs, and Tyler Badie, who was active ahead of him for most of the season last year, got the start ahead of McLaughlin and left the game while Jaleel played into the 4th quarter.

The writing just seems to be on the wall for the former undrafted free agent. I don’t think he makes the 53-man roster and honestly, it seems like Badie has a better shot at the practice squad spot right now. Then you have Cody Schrader having an insane game, and it gets tough for McLaughlin.

He did have a nice catch-and-run touchdown tonight and showed off his speed. I just think he’ll be playing elsewhere this season.

WINNER – TE Justin Joly

Disclaimer: I could have caught and run this in for a touchdown(maybe), but still. Rookie tight end Justin Joly was about as wide open as you can get and hauled in a Sam Ehlinger pass and ran it in for a walk-in 88-yard touchdown.

Justin Joly with an 88 yard TOUCHDOWN!

WIDE ASS OPEN pic.twitter.com/xuSJDqPASe

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026

It has been a tough summer for the Broncos ‘ 5th-round pick, but he finished the preseason on a high note with this. Again, it was about as easy as you can get, but hey, at least he didn’t drop it.

LOSER – Jonathon Cooper

While every Broncos starter on offense and defense did not dress for this game, edge rusher Jonathon Cooper did, which isn’t a great sign about his availability moving forward.

There is a lot of talk that he will land on the Commissioner’s Exempt list as his legal process moves forward. This will remove him from the 53-man roster and place him on paid leave while his legal matter moves forward. The fact that he played tonight suggests the Broncos do not plan to have him available moving forward.

Other Winners and Losers

• WINNER – S JL Skinner: He got the start and appears to have locked up a spot on the 53-man roster
• WINNER – LB Karene Reid: It sounds like he will be the Broncos LB3 and has locked up a roster spot
• WINNER – LB Red Murdock: He unsurprisingly forced a fumble, but does he make the 53-man roster?
• WINNER – FB Adam Prentice: The preseason MVP scored another touchdown
• WINNER – TE Nate Adkins: Made some plays in the opening few drives and seems like a player who locked up a roster spot
• WINNER – WR/KR Kolbe Katsis: Had some good returns and showed off his speed and playmaking ability – Does he make the practice squad?
• LOSER – WR/KR Cameron Ross: Muffed a punt – Does he make the practice squad?
• WINNER – Broncos fans: The preseason is FINALLY over, and we’re on to Kansas City

EAST RUTHERFORD – This was the exclamation point for Odell Beckham Jr.’s career revitalization. Back at the place he’d called home for so many years, sprinting through the secondary without a corner near.  The ball just needed to get to him and Beckham would skip into the end zone, 73 yards from the play’s beginning. 

Jameis Winston let it fly. Beckham lunged. He lost control of the slight overthrow as he came crashing to the turf. 

So, so close. 

That play would have been the highlight of Beckham’s summer, and the Giants’ 23-6 victory. Now he’ll await to see if everything he has accomplished is enough to make the team. He finished Friday night with three catches for 53 yards. He drew a pass interference. He slipped on another, leading Winston’s pass to glance off his fingertips and into the waiting arms of linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball. 

Beckham finished the Giants’ three preseason games with seven catches for 76 yards. Quarterbacks threw his way 13 times. 

“I’m pleased with what I did,” said Beckham. “But I’m always looking to do more.” 

While impressed with his workouts, the Giants weren’t exactly sure how much Beckham had left when they signed him in June. He last played in December of 2024, having sat out the entire 2025 season. He wasn’t particularly effective that year with Miami, though, catching just nine passes for 55 yards in nine games. 

Beckham admitted he wasn’t healthy when he met with the Giants. He now was and believed he could still play. He’s spent the last three months showing his self assessment wasn’t far off. 

While not the former all-pro who racked up 288 catches for 4,122 yards and 35 touchdowns his first three seasons, Beckham routinely got himself open during training camp practices. The same happened in the preseason, too, although the passes didn’t always come his way. 

His week of practice leading into the preseason finale was, per John Harbaugh, his “best” of the summer. Unsurprisingly it led to his most productive outing. 

The odds to make the Giants roster seem in Beckham’s favor after Calvin Austin, New York’s starting slot, suffered a season-ending knee injury, last week. Beckham will find out if that’s the case over the next 48 hours. 

“It would mean everything to me if I made it,” he said. 

Here’s one final prediction on how the Giants roster will shake out … 

Quarterback (2)

• Makes the cut: Jaxson Dart, Jameis Winston
• Gets cut: Brandon Allen, Jake Haener

More teams keep three quarterbacks now with the emergency designation. Allen showed absolutely nothing that warrants a spot on the 53-man roster this summer, though. Haener arrived late, and could be an option for the practice squad, but the Giants can likely find someone with more upside on the waiver wire or after. 

Running back (4)

• Makes the cut: Cam Skattebo, Najee Harris, Devin Singletary, Patrick Ricard (FB)
• Gets cut: Tyrone Tracy, Eric Gray, Damon Blankston, Grant Finley

This is the first real surprise. Tracy finds himself in the dog house, though, after nearly getting Dart decapitated in the preseason opener, then fumbling against the Dolphins. Seeing him playing on special teams in the final two preseason games was telling. 

The Giants could choose to keep four running backs (plus Ricard). That would give Tracy a spot. The signing of Harris, and reliability of Singletary, makes it unnecessary, though. This is the first real sign things are different with Harbaugh.

Receiver (6)

• Makes the cut: Malik Nabers, Malachi Fields, Darnell Mooney, Darius Slayton, Braxton Berrios, Odell Beckham Jr.  
• Gets cut: Dalen Cambre, Xavier Gipson, Isaiah Hodgins, Jalin Hyatt, Kobe Prentice

The Giants keeping six or seven receivers was a hot topic before the Austin injury. His season-ending ACL tear likely secured the roster spots of both Berrios and Beckham, who really turned it on in the final week of camp. This is the end of the road for Hyatt, the wildly disappointing former third-round pick. It shouldn’t be long before Beckham takes back No. 13 for himself. 

Tight end (3)

• Makes the cut: Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson, Chris Manhertz
• Gets cut: Tanner Conner, Thomas Fideone, Josiah Deguara

Likely developed into Dart’s go-to target this summer. Look for him to see the second–most targets this season behind Nabers, assuming the wideout stays healthy. It will be interesting to see how coordinator Matt Nagy works Johnson into the fold, too. While inconsistent, he made plays a season ago (five touchdowns) and has size (6-6, 264 pounds) you can’t coach. 

Offensive line (10)

• Makes the cut: Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan, John Michael Schmitz, Francis Mauigoa, Jermaine Eluemunor, J.C. Davis, Aaron Stinnie, Marcus Mbow, Bryan Hudson, Lucas Patrick
• Gets cut: Evan Neal, Brenden Jaimes, Jake Kubas, Jarrod Gray, Ryan Schernecke 

Finally the end of the road for Evan Neal, the former first-round pick who’s been a massive bust to this point. Not even his conversion to guard could save his career. He’s been a little better this year at guard than last, but still isn’t someone you want to play on Sundays. 

The Giants could look to trim a bit here to keep an extra running back or receiver with special teams value. Patrick is a candidate for the practice squad in this situation. 

Defensive line (5)

• Makes the cut: Shelby Harris, DJ Reader, Darius Alexander, Leki Fotu, Bobby Jamison-Travis
• Gets cut: Zacch Pickens, Ben Barten, Josh Tupou, Marlon Davidson

This is an area Schoen and Harbaugh should spend quite a bit of time scouring the waiver wire to add to. They could also look to move some of those late-round picks they got for trading Josh Ezeudu and Daniel Faalele to address the middle of their defense. It’s a weakness even when healthy. 

EDGE (4)

• Makes the cut: Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Chauncey Golston
• Gets cut: Caleb Murphy, Khalid Kareem, Trace Ford

This group needs to be the strength of the Giants defense. They’ve invested so many resources into their pass rush between trades (Burns), draft picks (Carter, Thibodeaux) and free-agent dollars (Golston), they should torment quarterbacks weekly. Of course, you need to stop the run to give your rushers a chance to get home. 

Linebacker (6)

• Makes the cut: Tremaine Edmunds, Arvell Reese, Micah McFadden, Jack Kelly, Zaire Barnes, Darius Muasau
• Gets cut: Anfernee Orji

Give Barnes a lot of credit. He’s turned heads as a special teamer and shown some ability in the preseason to contribute on defense. He’s also a great locker room guy. That special teams prowess, though, gives him the nod over others. 

Cornerbacks (6)

• Makes the cut: Tae Banks, Greg Newsome, Dru Phillips, Paulson Adebo, Colton Hood, Nic Jones
• Gets cut: Korie Black, Art Green

This is another spot I could see the Giants keeping one more, like a Green or Jones. They’ve flashed at different points this summer. You can also easily get one of those players on the practice squad, though, and call up as need be. 

Safeties (4)

• Makes the cut: Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin, Jason Pinnock, Ar’Darius Washington
• Gets cut: Ugo Amadi, Beau Brade, Elijah Campbell, Raheem Layne, JT Woods

No real surprise cuts here. The real question will be who starts from the grouping. Holland is locked, but the Giants have rotated Nubin and Washington throughout the summer. Nubin has more upside, but Washington has looked better and has familiarity with Harbaugh. Washington seems to have the edge now. 

Special teams (3)

• Makes the cut: Dominic Zvada (K), Jordan Stout (P), Ben Mann (LS)
• Gets cut: Ben Sauls (K)

Zvada has been the better kicker all summer and has an absolute cannon for a leg. He deserves this job and might be the next great kicker uncovered by Harbaugh.

San Francisco Giants skipper Tony Vitello was ejected for the second time this week.

Vitello was ejected against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 26, and again two days later against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The first-year manager, who spent the previous eight seasons at Tennessee, was sent to the locker room early in the third inning after arguing a fair ball call that he thought was foul.

The ejection is Vitello's fifth of his young MLB career. He wasn't the only one sent out early — Giants ace Logan Webb was also ejected from the contest, along with Vitello. (Webb was not pitching Friday.)

Makai Lemon was the sole projected 2026 starter who suited up to play in the Philadelphia Eagles’ preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday night.

It was a sensible decision. Lemon missed half of the Eagles’ spring practices and the majority of training camp with the same hamstring injury. The team didn’t want his first NFL game action to come against the Washington Commanders in Week 1.

With Lemon not exactly popping during the limited practices he has participated in, it would’ve been encouraging to see some positive signs from him in this game.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Lemon finished his first professional football game with five targets that resulted in three catches for three yards. He had a pass go through his hands for an interception and he muffed a punt that he fielded off of multiple bounces before ultimately recovering possession.

Tough debut for Makai Lemon so far.

4 targets, 2 recs, 2 yards … and a dropped pass that caused an interception.pic.twitter.com/rImEbkC4Zj

— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 29, 2026

To his credit, Lemon took accountability for the turnover after the game:

Makai Lemon on the interception that went off his hands: “It was a drop. It went through my hands. I gotta catch that.” #Eaglespic.twitter.com/Tjiam2ozSn

— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) August 29, 2026

Lemon wasn’t exactly done any favors by Tanner McKee, who largely struggled. McKee threw short of the rookie on the first target of the game. The backup quarterback also probably could’ve placed the pass in the following video better, though Lemon also didn’t exactly generate much separation here:

Makai Lemon's second target of the night: pic.twitter.com/FOctqjIVmA

— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 29, 2026

It goes without saying that it’s entirely too early to write the book on Lemon’s career. But I do think it’s fair to raise questions about his readiness to contribute early on as a rookie.

There was a play in this game where Lemon ran into Elijah Moore. There was a rep in practice this week where Lemon didn’t know he was supposed to be on the field.

Based on what I’ve seen this summer, Darius Cooper and Moore currently inspire more confidence as WR3 options than Lemon does. If beating Washington is the top priority, one of them should be starting alongside DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks in 15 days from now.

But I don’t think that deployment is necessarily likely. Lemon has been working with the starters since returning from injury. And the Eagles have been making an effort to force feed him touches, albeit to not much success in practice.

Perhaps patience with Lemon will pay off and any short-term struggles will subside as he improves over the course of his rookie season. I’m sure many will be quick to compare his path to Cooper DeJean, who also missed a lot of time in training camp before struggling in the Eagles’ preseason finale in 2024.

A few things about that comparison:

1. DeJean is pretty great player who is probably more of the exception than the norm.
2. It wasn’t until Week 6 that the coaching staff trusted DeJean to see regular playing time that year.
3. DeJean’s layoff may have been less detrimental than it is for a rookie receiver missing out on time to build chemistry with his quarterback.

Maybe one day we’ll look back at this Lemon performance and laugh that there was any concern about his outlook. Until we see more from him, though, I think it’s fair to have some reservations. Especially since the Eagles kind of need him to be ready to have a meaningful role in this offense sooner than later.

It is Friday night. Or at least it was when this game started.

The Orioles have beaten the Athletics by a 4-3 score over a ten-inning contest. It was, frankly, a stupid game where a lot of things happened that should have caused the O’s to lose, except, they didn’t lose. Brandon Young pitched seven great innings, Dylan Beavers threw out a runner at the plate, Coby Mayo drove in the go-ahead run in extra innings, and then Alex Hoppe got his first career save in closing the thing out.

YOU KNOW WHAT MUST BE DONE.

What a difference a few weeks make.

Cade Klubnik looked to be a shoe-in to be the Jets' backup quarterback behind Geno Smith. But after a shaky performance in the team's preseason finale against the Giants, that may not be the case.

"I thought Cade was up and down," head coach Aaron Glenn said after the game. "He made some plays. ... There’s some itty bitty things that we gotta fix. As for like two minutes. Can’t take sacks in the two minutes, lose yards in a two-minute situation. As a young quarter, he’ll learn those things. He’s a very intelligent player. The good thing is they happen now. So we can look at the film and try to correct those things."

The rookie QB started Friday's game and played the first half, going 6 of 13 for 59 yards and an interception, a far cry from his first preseason start when he filled in for an injured Smith and led two scoring drives.

But the night started well for Klubnik. He led a 10-play drive for a touchdown -- all runs including one of his own. But afterwards, the next five Jets drives were: three-and-out, interception, punt, punt and end of half.

"Not exactly what we wanted as a whole," Klubnik said of his night. "For me, they did a great job on third downs. I thought we ran the ball really well tonight. But for me, third downs we got to be better against their simulated pressures and finding an answer, and I have to get us to a play that will work.

"Overall, not my best ball. I thought we did some good things though. I thought at times, our offense was really rolling, and at times we couldn’t get into rhythm and that starts with me."

Klubnik's second preseason appearance saw him go 10 of 14 for 75 yards, but failed to complete a scoring drive and looked rattled by pressure. So, after back-to-back mediocre outings, Glenn was asked point blank whether Klubnik will be the team's QB2, but the second-year coach was noncommittal.

"I’ll say this -- me and [GM Darren Mougey] are going to sit back and evaluate that," he said. "It’s not fair to myself, not fair to him, not fair to us as a team to make those statements now. We’ll take a look at that, evaluate it and make the right decision moving forward."

The Jets' other two quarters, Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook, combined to go 5 of 11 for 38 yards, so perhaps the backup QB isn't on the roster yet. However, Gang Green chooses to go about their quarterback rook, they'll have until Sunday to finalize their 53-man roster.

The Kansas City Chiefs don’t win in the preseason — but sometimes, the team doesn’t lose either! The starting defense and most of the offense took the field Friday night to give us a glimpse of what the 2026 Chiefs could look like, and it was pretty good.

The defense was difficult to run on, and even got pressure with only four pass rushers at times. On offense, rookie quarterback Garrett Nussmeier played the entire game and looked the part of a young backup. Tight end Travis Kelce got some reps, including a catch and a little dance. But the big story should be the renewed focus on the running game: 37 carries split among a variety of runners with pretty consistent success.

Here are a few Chiefs who stood out as Kansas City wrapped up the exhibition slate with a tie against the Seattle. Seahawks.

Winners

Defensive end R Mason Thomas: It doesn’t matter that it’s preseason, or who he was facing; Thomas just looks the part. He had a strip sack in this one along with some quick pressure on limited snaps. It’s not a stretch to say he’s already the most gifted edge rusher on the Chiefs’ defense, and the most promising speed rusher the team has drafted in recent years. He’ll keep getting better, but you can’t teach the explosion and the fight that he’s shown so far.

Running back Brashard Smith: The Chiefs have really been working on their run game, and for the final preseason game, it was all about Brashard Smith. Each running back looked good, but Smith got the longest look, with the most carries and yards on either team. He’s improved, he’s gotten stronger, and he broke off a 57-yard kick return. Smith should be a roster lock, but he also looks like a guy they’ll want to get on the field with the ball in his hands.

Defensive Tackle Peter Woods: He may have heard the criticism from the last two preseason games — or he may just have gotten healthier. Whatever happened, Peter Woods made his presence felt against the Seahawks. As a team, the Chiefs held their opponent to under 30 yards rushing by rallying to the ball and disrupting plays in the backfield. It was nice to see the rookie in the mix and looking good.

Cornerback Mansoor Delane: He moves at a different speed than the average corner, especially for a rookie. Another perfect form tackle for a loss this week; Delane looks ready to dominate.

Wide receiver Andrew Armstrong: He was the favorite target of Garrett Nussmeier this week, and for good reason. Armstrong continued to make his case for a roster spot with diving catches, sideline toe taps and physicality.

The Chiefs’ offensive line: The run game looked solid, regardless of the ball carrier — over 4 yards per carry. But pass protection took a step forward as well; from the starters to the backups, Nussmeier made it through the game without taking a sack. Perhaps it was the return of right guard Trey Smith. Perhaps there was a bit more urgency for the incumbents given the trade for Josh Ezeudu. Either way, it felt like a step in the right direction for the big uglies.

Defensive lineman Marcus Harris: He’s quietly put together a strong preseason and has a real chance to make an NFL roster this week. Marcus Harris helped close out this tie with three tackles in the closing minutes. His spot on the 53-man roster may depend on the health of some other guys, but Harris has done everything he can to make a strong impression.

Losers

I’m not sure it’s fair to call out many “losers” this week.

Sure, there were too many penalties, Nussmeier threw an interception and kicker Harrison Butker missed from 58 yards away.

We’ll find out on Sunday who did enough to earn a job, and who didn’t.

Hopefully, most of these guys will get a chance to continue chasing their NFL dreams even if not in Kansas City.

Multiple softball players from Texas Tech were injured in an accident at Lake Ransom Canyon on the afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 27, a spokesperson for the Red Raiders confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

In a statement, the spokesperson did not specify the nature of the injuries, how exactly they were caused or how many players were involved. The players were at the lake as part of a “team event.”

“There were thankfully no critical injuries as a result of the accident,” a Texas Tech spokesperson said. “All injured student-athletes have been treated and are expected to make a full recovery.”

The Ransom Canyon Police Department and the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY Sports’ request for comment.

In a post on X on Friday night — which quoted a story from D1softball.com that said three Red Raiders were injured in a jet ski accident — Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco wrote, “Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers! Glad everyone is okay and recovering well!”

Over the past two seasons, Glasco has transformed Texas Tech into one of the perennial powers in softball. The Red Raiders have gone 115-24 over the last two years and in each season have advanced to the finals of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City — losing both times to Texas.

The 2027 Texas Tech team is expected to be a national contender once again as it returns All-Americans in Mia Williams, Taylor Pannell, Jasmyn Burns and Kaitlyn Terry. Glasco also dipped into the transfer portal to bolster the roster with the additions of Jaysoni Beachum of Florida State, Moriah Polar of Purdue, Jayden Heavener of LSU, Kasidi Pickering of Oklahoma, and Utah’s Hailey Maestretti.

Texas Tech will open the 2027 softball season on Feb. 18 at the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational in Clearwater, Florida.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas Tech softball players injured in accident at lake, school confirms

This Sunday, August 30th, is a big day on the NFL calendar. By 6 PM ET on that day, NFL teams will have to cut down their roster to the initial 53-man roster. The Cowboys have some tough decisions to make as we have discussed extensively over the past few weeks.

The Cowboys are trying to rebound from two straight years of missing the playoffs and have been getting positive reviews on their offseason so far. Even the sports books, like our partner FanDuel, have the Cowboys as probable for playoff action (-124) which ranks sixth in the NFC.

After the cuts occur, a flurry of transactions will happen as other teams try to patch holes by picking up players who are cut, or by trading for them before the cut happens. The process can be confusing, so here are the rules around the waiver wire in the NFL.

When is the waiver deadline?

Teams have until 1 PM ET on August 31st (the day after the cut deadline), to place a waiver claim on a player. The NFL reviews the process, finalizes the moves, and then teams then can begin filling out their practice squads.

Which players can go on waivers?

Once the cuts happen, players are then placed into two buckets depending on their service time in the NFL. The buckets are vested players and players who have yet to reach that designation.

Our sister site, Behind The Steel Curtain, has outlined this process.

A vested player is one who has been credited with four or more seasons of NFL experience. To be credited for an NFL season, a player must have been on the active, inactive, IR, or PUP roster for three or more regular-season or postseason games. A player can also be credited for a season if they receive an injury settlement or grievance for the equivalent of three or more regular-season games. Note that a credited season is different from accrued seasons, which determine what type of free agent a player is.

Vested players do not go onto waivers and are free to sign with any team at any time, between the day after the Super Bowl and the NFL trade deadline. They are subject to waivers in the period after the deadline through the Super Bowl.

Non-vested players, or players with three or fewer credited seasons, are subject to waivers. If these players go unclaimed, they are free to negotiate with teams as free agents.

How does the NFL determine waiver wire priority?

Once players are determined to be subject to waivers, teams must then be allotted players they claim. But it goes through a waiver order to determine which team’s claim wins on each player. This waiver wire order is used for now and through the first three weeks of the season. That order is the same as the 2026 draft order before any trades were made.

There is also one other key item – after a team is allotted a claimed player, they do not go to the back of the line and wait their turn again. Instead, the team with the top priority who makes a claim gets that player. If the Raiders, who are at the top of the waiver order claim five players, they will get those five players. There is no rotating to the back of the line after making a claim.

What’s the current waiver order?

1. Las Vegas Raiders
2. New York Jets
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Tennessee Titans
5. New York Giants
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Washington Commanders
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Kansas City Chiefs
10. Cincinnati Bengals
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Baltimore Ravens
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Indianapolis Colts
17. Detroit Lions
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. Carolina Panthers
20. Green Bay Packers
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Philadelphia Eagles
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
25. Chicago Bears
26. Buffalo Bills
27. San Francisco 49ers
28. Houston Texans
29. Los Angeles Rams
30. Denver Broncos
31. New England Patriots
32. Seattle Seahawks

The Denver Broncos rested most all their key starters this evening. That gave the Broncos’ coaches plenty of tape to evaluate the backup players vying for a spot on the final 53-man roster. When the game clock struck zero, the Broncos came away with a dominating 34-6 victory in their preseason finale versus the Minnesota Vikings. Here are some instant reactions from tonight’s game.

Broncos’ offense bounces back versus Vikings; Cody Schrader has an incredible performance.

Last week in their 20-point defeat to the Green Bay Packers, the Broncos struggled in the offensive trenches and couldn’t tote the rock on the ground. In turn, their offense fluttered and they only put 13 points up on the board. Earlier in the week, Offensive Coordinator Davis Webb stated he wanted to see more consistency from the group. Tonight, they didn’t disappoint and executed tremendously.

Denver’s starting offensive line was Matt Peart, Kage Casey, Luke Wattenberg, Calvin Throckmorton, and Alex Palczewski. Those five were able to manhandle the competition in the trenches. Wattenberg was eventually replaced by Throckmorton at center, with Palczewski going to right guard, and UDFA rookie Tyler Miller manning down reps at right tackle.

With them paving the way, the Broncos’ running game did much better. Tyler Badie had a few good runs. Meanwhile, Cody Schrader impressed in the first half and averaged nearly eight yards per carry. Schrader continued to perform well in his reps in the second half.

Quite honestly, he was the player of the game for Denver. He finished with 132 all-purpose yards. Will that be enough for him to make the final 53-man roster? I don’t think so. Denver likely keeps just three running backs. Nevertheless, his performance tonight assured him a spot on the 16-man practice squad. He showed a lot of burst and wiggle in the open field.

The only back who struggled in his limited carries early on was Jaleel McLaughlin. However, McLaughlin made up for it with a 20-yard touchdown reception late in the first half. Even so, I’m not sure that will be enough for him to earn a spot when the roster is finalized in less than 48 hours. He saw a lot of playing time even in the second half which usually isn’t a good sign in a preseason finale.

The Broncos finished the game with 400 yards of total offense and 34 points scored. As Head Coach John Fox once said, “Not too shabby.”

Cody Schrader making the defense miss!

MINvsDEN on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/YCq09q1cLv

— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2026

Welcome to the NFL, Justin Joly!

Justin Joly has had a relatively quiet training camp and preseason. He hadn’t been targeted much in the first two games and only had a couple of receptions. During his collegiate years, he was one of college football’s most productive players. At North Carolina State, he was a vertical threat and bigtime playmaker.

With that in mind, he was one of the players I hoped would shine tonight versus the Vikings. It took a while for it to happen, but he hauled in an 88-yard touchdown reception from Sam Ehlinger late in the fourth quarter. Sure, the Vikings had busted coverage, but Joly came down with the ball and took it to the house.

Head Coach Sean Payton talks all the time about how a single play or moment can give a player confidence. Maybe this moment will serve as a motivator and momentum builder as he continues to carve out his role with the team and path in the National Football League. Congrats on the big play, Joly!

8️⃣8️⃣ yards to the 🏡!

📺: 9NEWS pic.twitter.com/R1xQTw5Xbe

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 29, 2026

Two players I felt that stood out for Denver on defense.

One of the big variables before the final roster cutdowns is what will shake out with EDGE rusher Jonathon Cooper. The Broncos haven’t been informed of a decision yet, but he very well could be suspended for at least six games due to his off-the-field issues earlier this summer. Even if that doesn’t happen, 9News insider Mike Klis mentioned Cooper could be placed on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list as the legal process continues to play out.

That means guys like Jonah Elliss, Dondrea Tillman, and Que Robinson will have to step up. I expect Elliss to be the first in line to start. However, I thought Robinson looked quite good in extended playing time. Against the Vikings, he put a lot of pressure on Max Brosmer in the first half. A fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Robinson has tantalizing traits and upside as a starter. Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph has spoken highly of him this offseason and he should see quite a bit of playing time early on this season if Cooper is not on the roster to begin the season.

Another player I thought impressed again was inside linebacker Karene Reid. In every preseason game to date, Reid has shown a knack for making plays on the ball. Truth be told, he was someone I thought would be a cut. Now? He appears to probably be the best bet for the third backer in the Broncos’ rotation. I still feel Denver may opt to carry five inside linebackers, but will Red Murdock and Jordan Turner be the other two? We’ll know by Monday evening.

Que Robinson with a disruptive set of plays in the red zone here down the stretch of the first half.

A good reaction to the flat on second down and then a third-down pressure.

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) August 29, 2026

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations:

• I don’t envision Kolbe Katsis making the final roster, but he solidified his spot on the 16-man practice squad. Katsis had terrific 48-yard return in the first half. He was a tremendous returner in college and could eventually be a future asset for the franchise down the road for his special team’s ability. However, Marvin Mims Jr. did suffer a foot injury early in the game. The severity is unknown, but if it’s significant enough, Katsis may sneak onto the final roster if Mims has to go on short-term IR.
  
• Tight end Nate Adkins looked good tonight as well. He lined up in a variety of positions and threw some key blocks and had a nice 26-yard catch and run early in the game. I think he will end up making the final roster this year as well. Adam Prentice also got a few looks in the run game including another touchdown score. I think both players will have a big role in propelling Denver’s rushing attack in 2026 and be important in short yardage and goal line situations.
  
• In the third quarter of the broadcast, Klis noted that he didn’t expect the Broncos to make any outside additions via the waiver wire during the roster cutdown process. From what he has heard, Denver’s coaching staff feels good about the players who are developing in the system. That would be a mild surprise to me, but we will just have to see what shakes out over the next couple of days.
  
• Kudos to Sam Ehlinger for bouncing back after an interception to start the game. I don’t feel the Broncos will carry three quarterbacks on the final roster, but he really stepped up and was dialing up great throws down the field in the second half. Ehlinger finished the game going 15-of-20 for 233 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception.

The Dallas Cowboys are setting their initial 53-man roster and have to be done with the cuts by 6 PM ET on August 30th. All the work done over the offseason – free agency, the draft, OTAs, minicamps, training camp, and three preseason games – will pay off with an initial 53-man roster.

We say initial 53-man roster because teams never stick with just that. Trades might happen before it, or after it. Teams will claim players who are eligible for waiver wire claims, and will try to sign free agent players who don’t have to go through waivers. There are a lot of things that go on during this time so we’ll be tracking the cuts and other news here, while we also have a practice squad tracker later when that time arrives.

Be sure to check back often as we update this list as news becomes available.

Check out all the NFL odds from our partner FanDuel. They have the Cowboys at -2.5 for Week 1 against the New York Giants.

2026 Roster Cuts

• None reported so far

Last Updated:

With the Minnesota Vikings now going through the process of putting together their roster, there will likely be some questions as to how they go about doing that. We are going to attempt to answer those questions in this post.

As we’ve previously mentioned, teams have until 5:00 PM Central on Sunday, 30 August to trim their rosters to 53 players. They can do those by letting players go, making trades, and other means that we will detail.

Released vs Waived

Over the next couple of days, you will hear about players being both released and waived by their teams, including the Vikings. There is a significant difference between those two in terms of what sort of freedom a player has over where he goes after his previous team lets him go.

Players with more than four accrued seasons of NFL experience will be released. A player that is released becomes a free agent and is free to sign with another NFL team immediately.

Any player with less than four accrued NFL seasons will be waived by their teams. That means they are subject to the league’s waiver process.

Waiver Process

After teams finalize their 53-man rosters, teams will have until noon Central time on Monday, 31 August to place claims on any players that were let go and are subject to the waiver process. There is a waiver priority list, and that list is the same as the first-round draft order from the 2026 NFL Draft. To refresh your memory, that means it looks like this:

1. Las Vegas Raiders
2. New York Jets
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Tennessee Titans
5. New York Giants
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Washington Commanders
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Kansas City Chiefs
10. Cincinnati Bengals
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Baltimore Ravens
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Indianapolis Colts
17. Detroit Lions
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. Carolina Panthers
20. Green Bay Packers
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Philadelphia Eagles
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
25. Chicago Bears
26. Buffalo Bills
27. San Francisco 49ers
28. Houston Texans
29. Los Angeles Rams
30. Denver Broncos
31. New England Patriots
32. Seattle Seahawks

As you can see, the Vikings sit at #18 on the waiver priority list. That means if they put in a waiver claim on a player, they need to hope that none of the 17 teams above them put in a claim on the same player. If even one of those teams claims the same player, they have priority over the Vikings and the Vikings won’t get that player.

Any team can claim as many players as they want during the waiver process. If they are awarded a player, they have to make a corresponding move to add that player to the 53-man roster.

Suspended Players

A suspended player will not count against the team’s 53-man roster. Jeshaun Jones, who was recently suspended for three games for violating the league’s substance policy, could stay with the team for the first three weeks of the season and not count against the 53-man roster, although he wouldn’t be allowed in the facility or be able to participate in any team activities. Or, if the team were to release him and he signed somewhere else, he would not be available to his new team for the first three weeks of the season, either.

Injured Reserve

Should the Vikings have any players that they feel need to spend time on injured reserve, they can place two on IR with a designation to return during the season. Those returnees would count against their allotment of players who are allowed to return during the season, but would not count against the 53-man roster for cutdown purposes.

International Player Partnership Program Players

Right now, the Vikings have a roster exemption for punter Brett Thorson as a part of the league’s International Player Partnership Program. If they determine that he has won the punting battle over Johnny Hekker and makes the active roster, they no longer get an exemption for him. He would be a regular member of the 53-man roster. If they waive him, nobody else claims him, and they bring him back to the practice squad, they could then get an exemption for him to be a 17th member of the practice squad.

Practice Squad

Once all of the waiver claims have been processed by the league, teams are free to sign players who remain unclaimed to the practice squad. We will have a separate practice squad tracker when the time comes and go over all the practice squad rules in that post.

That should be everything you need to know as the Vikings set about building a roster that will, hopefully, improve on their current +3500 odds to win this year’s Super Bowl (thank you, FanDuel Sportsbook).

We’ll be tracking all of the moves the Vikings make on their road to the 53-man roster in our roster tracker, so be sure to keep checking back there for the latest!

Do FanDuel link when you can get some odds.

Now that the final preseason game is in the books, the process of getting the roster prepared for the 2026 regular season kicks into overdrive for the Minnesota Vikings (and the 31 NFL teams that don’t matter nearly as much as the Minnesota Vikings), as they attempt to build a roster that gives them a better chance of winning the NFC North than the current +430 odds that our friends at the FanDuel Sportsbook are giving them.

Between now and 5:00 PM Central on Sunday, 30 August, the Vikings must reduce their roster from the current 91 players (they have a roster exemption for punter Brett Thorson as part of the International Player Pathway Program) down to 53. We will get more into the rules in a separate post, but the purpose of this post is to track any cuts, trades, or whatever it might be that are made public by the team between now and that deadline.

Over the past couple of years, a few moves have trickled out here and there from the team, and then they’ve done a big dump of moves at the end to sort of finalize the 53-man roster. However it happens this season, we’ll be doing our best to keep track of things here.

We will update this post with any moves that the team makes, so keep refreshing for the latest.

In the final preseason game of the season, the hope is, generally, that you can put together a performance that you can feel good about heading into the games that count, even though a lot of the starters don’t play.

The final preseason game of 2026 for the Minnesota Vikings was. . .pretty much the exact opposite of that.

The Vikings’ defense got scorched by Sam Ehlinger for most of the evening, and the offense failed to find the end zone for the second consecutive game as they fell to the Denver Broncos by a final score of 34-6 in the 2026 preseason finale at Mile High on Friday night.

The Broncos got the football first, and immediately went down and put up points on their first possession courtesy of a 43-yard field goal from Will Lutz to make it 3-0. There was some bad news on the drive for the Vikings as undrafted free agent safety Jacob Thomas, who has made quite an impression so far this preseason, hurt his ankle on a third-down play and needed to be helped off the field.

The Vikings’ offense, led by Carson Wentz due to J.J. McCarthy being out of this game with an ankle injury, took the field and immediately went three-and-out. Brett Thorson got the first punt of the night, and he blasted a nice 54-yarder that went out of bounds at the 12-yard line. The Broncos’ offense went back out on the field and, once again, pushed the ball down the field in convincing fashion. Jarrett Stidham marched the home team on an 88-yard drive, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Adam Prentice, and the Broncos had a 10-0 lead with three and a half minutes left in the first quarter of play.

Minnesota’s offense did manage to pick up a first down on the ensuing possession and got the ball out to midfield, but Wentz’s pass to Gavin Bartholomew was stopped short on third down, and the Vikings punted it away again to start the second quarter.

Denver turned to Sam Ehlinger at quarterback on the next drive, and the Vikings got themselves a turnover courtesy of safety Khalef Hailassie. Hailassie had a couple of picks last offseason, and he stepped in front of a pass intended for Dane Key to get one in this game, setting the Vikings up in Denver territory.

.@YoungLeaf24 GO CRAZY!!

📺: #MINvsDEN@FOX9pic.twitter.com/hHNamktcjb

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 29, 2026

With Max Brosmer taking over at quarterback for Wentz, the Vikings turned the interception into three points, as Will Reichard connected on a 46-yard field goal to cut the Denver lead to 10-3. The Vikings appeared to have a third-down conversion to extend the drive prior to that, but an illegal formation penalty took it away and forced the Vikings to settle for the field goal attempt a couple of plays later.

Denver returned the ensuing kickoff into Minnesota territory, which I’m sure Matt Daniels wasn’t necessarily thrilled with. The drive didn’t do much with the field position, however, and Lutz came on again for another field goal attempt. This one was a 37-yarder, and the veteran connected to push the lead back to ten once more at 13-3 with five and a half minutes remaining before halftime.

A touchback on the ensuing kickoff gave the Vikings good starting field position, and Brosmer led what might have been the best overall drive of the preseason, moving the offense down the field with some solid throws. Minnesota eventually got into a goal-to-go situation. . .and then Brosmer threw it away on three consecutive plays, leading to a 28-yard field goal from Reichard to make it 13-6 with a minute and a half left in the second quarter.

Ehlinger and the Broncos got the ball back and marched down the field in short order, connecting on a pair of big passes to get near the Vikings’ red zone with thirty seconds remaining. Ehlinger then found Jaleel McLaughlin out of the backfield for a 20-yard catch-and-run for the Broncos’ second touchdown of the night to make it 20-6 heading into the locker room.

The Vikings got the ball to start the second half, and promptly went three-and-out as a third-down conversion was wiped out by yet another penalty. The Broncos responded with a three-and-out of their own on their first possession of the half. Minnesota took over and managed to push the ball to midfield, but ultimately ended up punting the football away once again.

A third-down stop by the Vikings on Denver’s next possession was negated by a hands to the face penalty on 3rd-and-13, which we’re sure Brian Flores was absolutely thrilled with. That allowed the drive to push into the fourth quarter, and Ehlinger put the capper on a 17-play, 85-yard drive. . .yes, seventeen plays, eighty-five yards. . .with a 14-yard touchdown pass on a 4th-and-2 play to Cody Schrader to extend Denver’s lead to 27-6 early in the final stanza.

To the Vikings’ credit, they responded with another long drive that pushed into the Denver red zone. Ultimately, they found themselves looking at a fourth-and-goal from the Denver 6-yard line and elected to go for it. Brosmer threw a quick pass to Jermar Jefferson out of the backfield, and he was taken down immediately for a turnover on downs.

The Vikings’ defense then put the capper on a really awful night by allowing an 88-yard touchdown pass from Ehlinger to tight end Justin Joly, who didn’t have a purple jersey within 20 yards of him when he caught the football. He ran untouched for around the final 40 yards to the end zone, and the extra point extended Denver’s lead to 34-6 with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation.

There really wasn’t anything to report after that. Nobody in purple really covered themselves in glory in the preseason finale, and now the focus will shift to the flurry of roster moves that the Vikings will make in order to get their roster down to 53 players. The next time they take the field, it will be for the regular season opener on 13 September when they host the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The preseason is over, and not a moment too soon for the Minnesota Vikings, as they fall to the Denver Broncos 34-6 in the 2026 preseason finale. Thank you to everyone who got their coverage of this week’s game right here at The Daily Norseman!

The final preseason game is often a snooze fest, but this one between the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings was anything but. Denver had themselves plenty of big plays and long, sustained drives. All things you hope to see from the team even if starters are on the bench.

It also helps that the Broncos dominated from start to finish. Despite the fun game, I am so ready for Week 1. How about you?

Broncos vs. Vikings final score

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Minnesota Vikings	0	6	0	0	6
Denver Broncos	10	10	0	14	34

First Quarter

With most of the starters on the bench for this one, it was Jarrett Stidham who got the start and the Broncos took the field first on offense. The offense was clicking on all cylinders early sparked by a 26 yard catch and run by tight end Nate Adkins to get the team into field goal range. Things went south from there after a near interception and a Jaleel McLaughlin stuffed run up the middle. Stiddy would throw an incomplete pass on the next play to Marvin Mims Jr. to kill the drive. Wil Lutz would put Denver on the board first with a 43-yard field goal.

Facing Carson Wentz, the Broncos defense was unfazed and forced a very quick three-and-out to get the ball right back into Stidham’s hands.

Denver’s second drive began just outside of their own 10 yard line. It looked like they might get back in the down and distance mark, but a nifty run by Tyler Badie gained a first down. He had three carries for nearly 20 yards to start that drive making a strong case for his roster hopes.

Tyler Badie making people miss pic.twitter.com/vdhyFUluTW

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026

Then Cody Schrader came in to catch a ball out in the flat and turned up field for a 20 yard gain near midfield.

Cody Schrader making his case for a roster spot 💪 pic.twitter.com/nTHRv0wzrl

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026

Stidham went back to the Schrader well two plays later for another 12-yard gain. He’d get a carry on the next play for another 10+ yard run and a first down into field goal range.

After a nine yard scramble by Stiddy and a stuffed run by McLaughlin, the Broncos faced a third and short. A catch by Adkins picked up the first down to setup a first and goal. A short pass to Michael Bandy and then an Adam Prentice plunge would put the Broncos up by two scores late in the first quarter. The 12-play, 88 yard drive had a bit of everything.

The first quarter would come to an end with the Vikings coming up three yards short of the first down marker at midfield to bring up fourth down.

Broncos 10, Vikings 0.

Second Quarter

Stidham’s day was done after the first quarter. He finished 6/9 for 78 yards and two scoring drives. Sam Ehlinger would take command of the Broncos offense from the start of the second quarter on. That drive would be disastrous. After two short runs, Ehlinger sailed a pass on third and seven that would be easily intercepted by the Vikings.

Sam Ehlinger throws an ugly INT pic.twitter.com/pDxV8Oqu58

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026

The Vikings, with that good field position, were able to capitalize on the turnover — sort of. They would need a great effort on a third and long to get into the fringe field goal range. The 46-yard field goal cut the lead back to seven points.

Kolbe Katsis ripped off his second 40+ yard return with a 48-yard kickoff return to setup the Broncos up with great field position to start the next drive.

Kolbe Katsis shows off his speed on the return.

Can he make the 53 man roster? pic.twitter.com/kwXJTvlrhD

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026

On the first play of the next drive, Cody Schrader would rip off a big gain for a first down. That would settle Ehlinger a bit for this drive as two plays later he would find Cameron Ross open over the middle for another nice gain and then found Schrader open for a first down into the red zone.

An attempted sweep would get blown up to put the Broncos into a second and 16 from their own 18 yard line. A holding penalty pushed them even further backwards. That would kill all momentum and ultimately bring Wil Lutz out for another field goal attempt to put Denver back up by 10.

Minnesota would charge back before the end of the half, but the Broncos defense would have an impressive goal line stand to keep the damage minimized to a field goal.

The Broncos went into hurry-up mode and three massive pass plays by Ehlinger got Denver right into field goal range with half a minute left in the half. Pass plays to Michael Bandy and Justin Joly got to midfield, then a 20 yard dart to Dane Key set the Broncos up nicely on that drive.

Sam Ehlinger with a dime to Dane Key pic.twitter.com/enmuJ0ZsSd

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026

Two plays later, Ehlinger would find Jaleel McLaughlin on a crossing route for as 20-yard touchdown pass to put Denver up big heading into halftime.

Ehlinger finds the speedy Jaleel McLaughlin for a TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/FZfKuuExHH

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026

Broncos 20, Vikings 6.

Third Quarter

Kolbe Katsis had a decent 17-yard punt return after making something out of nothing. He is making the most of his chances with the football and that should be noted.

The Vikings stole the show early in the third quarter with a quality drive spurred by a pretty insane first down catch by Dontae Fleming.

Dontae Fleming with an insane first down catch 🔥

MINvsDEN on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/sl05mVgm4K

— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2026

That drive would result in a punt, though, as Denver’s defense would clamp down after two chunk plays to keep Minnesota outside of field goal range.

Schrader took over the Broncos’ next drive early with big runs and big receptions. A 22-yard gain took the Broncos offense across midfield on that drive.

Cody Schrader, have a night! pic.twitter.com/LxDR9GM35n

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026

McLaughlin then added another nine yard run where Prentice would pick up the first down into field goal range. Back-to-back negative runs pushed them back and it looked like they would be stopped on third down, but a five-yard defensive penalty gave them an automatic first down.

The quarter would end with the Broncos flirting with the red zone.

Broncos 20, Vikings 6.

Fourth Quarter

The drive would stall inside the red zone on a third and two inside run to McLaughlin that was stuffed. They decided to go for it with Ehlinger getting pressured and throwing it up into the end zone to a wide open Schrader for a 14-yard touchdown pass.

CODY MFN SCHRADER TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/GoL2zNOfD9

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026

The play looked absolutely broken, but they pulled a rabbit out of that hat.

The Broncos defense would add a fourth-down goal line stand and two plays later Ehlinger would find a wide-open Justin Joly at midfield for an incredible 88-yard touchdown to keep the blowout rolling.

Justin Joly with an 88 yard TOUCHDOWN!

WIDE ASS OPEN pic.twitter.com/xuSJDqPASe

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 29, 2026

Ehlinger would finish the game 15/20 for 233 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception.

The ache and need to see these teams run out the clock began to hit after that big play. The would somewhat comply and get us to the final eventually.

Broncos 34, Vikings 6.