With a new coaching staff, a new offense and a new quarterback, it would make sense for the Denver Broncos to give their first-team offense some reps in Saturday’s preseason opener.
Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett hasn’t revealed his plans for playing time yet, though, and it’s possible that quarterback Russell Wilson might be held out against the Dallas Cowboys.
Hackett said last month that “whoever needs to go out there and who we see fit — that’s how we’ll do it” when asked how the team will divide preseason playing time.
“I look back at all the history of preseason games, and I know that winning a preseason game doesn’t help you get to the playoffs,” Hackett said on July 27. “I always keep that mindset. Preseason is for evaluation and watching guys do basic things and just play football.”
More recently, Hackett said on Aug. 6 that “every player is a little bit different, [and] every situation is a little bit different.”
“In the end, winning a preseason game — preseason is always hard on a coach because you win one, you feel great, but it means nothing,” the coach said. “You lose one and you feel like crap. That’s just how it is.
“As a coach, looking at the full picture, I want to do what is right for the team. That’s all that I care about. What happens on the field, we just want to get great evaluations on whoever is out there.”
The “full picture” includes trying to get to the regular season with your starters healthy. Denver’s first-team players — including Wilson — will undoubtedly play in preseason, it’s just a question of how much. It’s not yet clear how much — if at all — they will play on Saturday.
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