Parker joined The Denver Post in September 2022 after covering the Broncos for USA Today. Before that, he spent five years covering Nebraska football and athletics for the Lincoln Journal Star. He's a New Glarus, Wisconsin native and a University of Wisconsin graduate.
Marvin Mims Jr. of the Denver Broncos returns a punt against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. One tweak to the NFL’s dynamic kickoff rule not only spiked the number of returns in Week 1 league-wide, but it might also eventually impact how teams approach the opening coin toss.
A touchback now brings the ball out to the offense’s 35-yard line, meaning even one first down ensures that, even if the offense punts, it will have a chance to pin the other team deep in its own territory. Denver coach Sean Payton on Wednesday described it as starting in positive field position rather than neutral. “If you’ve got a team that’s a little more touchback-oriented than put-it-in-play oriented, against those type of teams and you get a good weather day or, depending on the conditions — if you know you have a really good chance of starting at the 35-yard line — it may change that defer decision a little bit,” Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi said Thursday. “In the past, you really didn’t think about it.” It also makes end-of-half and end-of-game situations more complex. The Broncos decided to try to cover a kick with 16 seconds left in the first half in Week 1 because Tennessee had two timeouts and only needed 20 yards or so to get into Joey Slye’s range. The move backfired when Chimere Dike ran it back 71 yards and made the field goal a chip shot, but that’s what the league is looking for. More action on the play. “It’s great because it’s made the play relevant again,” said Rizzi, who was part of an advisory group that’s helped the NFL adopt the dynamic kickoff rule and tweak its framework over the past two years. “For so many years, this kickoff play got a little bit irrelevant. I think we saw a Super Bowl a couple years with 13 or 14 touchbacks, whatever it was.Inside linebacker Alex Singleton, meanwhile, said he broke his left thumb again during Sunday’s win over Tennessee, which is why he remains on the injury report — albeit as a full practice participant. The new break is in a different spot than the one he sustained during training camp, and he said it won’t keep him from playing, but likely will require a cast for a few weeks going forward. Singleton played Week 1 without much protection besides a small brace over the original injury.Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers and tight end Evan Engram each were full participants in practice, putting them on track to play Sunday at Indianapolis. Engram only played one snap from the middle of the third quarter on in the Broncos’ opener against Tennessee and was in the medical tent twice during the second half. He was a limited participant Wednesday.Sean Payton shoulders blame for Broncos’ shaky Week 1 offensive performanceTight end Nate Adkins, meanwhile, was upgraded to a limited participant Thursday, his first practice work since injuring his ankle Aug. 7 in a joint practice against San Francisco and having “tightrope” surgery. It remains to be seen if he’ll debut against the Colts, but the third-year player is on a return track.Inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw, however, didn’t participate again Thursday. He has not practiced since the regular season began. Payton on Wednesday said Greenlaw’s recovery is “going well,” but given the lack of practice activity, he is likely looking at a Week 3 return at the earliest. The Broncos didn’t put him on injured reserve to begin the season, a clear indication they expected him to miss fewer than four games.'Radicalized' Evergreen High School shooter kept firing and reloading, sheriff saysWho is Evergreen High School shooting suspect Desmond Holly?Two Colorado spots make New York Times list of America's 50 best restaurantsHere’s why the Broncos’ plan to redevelop Burnham Yard is far more than just another new stadium district popping up in America Here's why the Broncos' plan to redevelop Burnham Yard is far more than just another new stadium district popping up in America
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