5 takeaways from Broncos’ first day of training camp acclimation

The Denver Broncos kicked off training camp on Wednesday with the first day of a two-day acclimation period ahead of the first full-speed practice on Friday.

“It’s good to get started,” coach Sean Payton said after the light session. “Obviously, our first day, which is a schedule ‘A,’ kind of an on-ramp schedule. I thought the tempo was good. Guys are in good shape.”

Payton was first asked about the team’s beautiful new Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit facility, which has drawn big praise from the team’s players.

“Like anything, it’s significant, right?” Payton said. “It’s fantastic and a lot of people put a lot of time and energy into kind of meeting this type of deadline. We’re still working through the nuances of getting to your office, getting to your car. The little [garage key] swipe that gets you in, when the window opens, it’s a yard higher than your arm can go, that kind of stuff. But it’s all good.”

Here’s a quick overview of five other takeaways from Wednesday’s acclimation practice.

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1. Jonathon Cooper status update: Cooper has an arraignment date for his felony assault case set for Aug. 31, but Payton indicated after Wednesday’s practice that he expects a resolution “sooner than later.” That’s a notable comment because if Cooper’s case goes to trial, it could be months before a resolution. The Broncos will allow Cooper to continue practicing while the legal process unfolds. “We’re supportive, and yet very much aware of the seriousness of these types of things,” Payton said. “Pretty much what I said in the spring, there’s a schedule and a course to this, and that’s what we have to follow.” Payton said he, owner Greg Penner and general manager George Paton spent “a lot of time” with Cooper following the OLB’s two arrests. The NFL might eventually hand down a suspension, but such a decision won’t be made until after the legal process has completed.

2. Bo Nix participates in full-team drills: After sitting out full-team drills this spring, Nix (ankle) appeared to be a full participant on Wednesday. “I’m pleased with the shape he’s in,” Payton said of his QB. “The timeline relative to everything we’ve discussed injury-wise is falling into place. It’s good to have him back out there in the team periods.”

3. Broncos injury report: Denver tight end Caleb Lohner (knee) did not practice and cornerback Blake Cotton (unknown) left practice. Also not participating were offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo (knee; PUP) and linebacker Jordan Turner (unknown; NFI). Gargiulo is expected to remain on the PUP list into the regular season. Turner’s recovery timeline is unknown.

4. Denver brings back assistant coach: Michael Wilhoite has returned to the club as a defensive assistant. Wilhoite previously served as the team’s outside linebackers coach from 2023-2024 before being fired during the 2025 offseason after he was arrested and accused of punching a police officer. All charges against the coach have since been dismissed (but he is still facing a civil lawsuit from the officer involved in the alleged incident). “He’s obviously been away for a little bit over a year and a half,” Payton said. “I’m a huge fan, and he too went through a long and lengthy process. He was cleared and met with all of us. We felt real good, and I’m excited to have him back.”

5. Broncos WR Pat Bryant stood out: Nix threw a couple of touchdown passes to Bryant during red zone drills. The Denver Post‘s Luca Evans tweeted that Bryant “stood out.” Cody Roark of Mile High Sports echoed that, and KOA’s Ryan Edwards tweeted that Bryant “rocks.” It’s obviously too early in camp to make sweeping proclamations about his 2026 outlook, but it’s certainly fair to say Bryant’s off to a good start in Year 2.

The Broncos will have a second acclimation day on Thursday before kicking off full-speed practice with about 1,000 ticketed fans in attendance on Friday (view the full training camp schedule here). We’ll have full coverage of Denver’s summer work on Broncos Wire.

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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 5 takeaways from Broncos’ first day of training camp acclimation