Broncos Training Camp 2023 Does a Total Flip-Flop

The contrast between the 2022 Denver Broncos training camp and the 2023 edition was stark.

A year ago, the team's decision to require no-fee tickets for entry to a few of the events, which have traditionally been open to anyone who felt like driving to what is now called the Centura Health Training Center, resulted in a logistical disaster. As a result, the announcement in June that every session this summer would require tickets, and that attendance at Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse would be capped at 3,000, seemed to portend even more problems.

But no. The awful planning and catastrophic execution that we encountered at a practice twelve months ago was replaced by an exceedingly smooth operation that produced zero drama. But the production values and fan servicing that were part of the package under the brief and terrible reign of former head coach Nathaniel Hackett have gone the way of all flesh. Sean Payton, the Super Bowl-winning commandant who's both Hackett's replacement and his most famous critic, is from the NFL's no-fun-league generation, and he made sure the workout didn't cater to attendees in the slightest.
My daughter Lora, with whom I've caught training-camp productions for years, had no trouble obtaining four tickets for Saturday, August 5. But the two of us, accompanied by Lora's significant other, John, and twin sister, Ellie, arrived nearly an hour before the 10 a.m. start time because of what happened last time around.

We'd shown up on July 30, 2022, at the first Saturday practice since the arrival of new quarterback Russell Wilson without realizing that tickets were required — and hundreds of others did likewise. But the people in this group weren't the only ones who waited for hours to be ushered toward the hillside where Broncos boosters eyeball the festivities. Thousands of ticketed patrons were still outside when things got underway owing to a bottlenecked security area and far too few staffers to process everyone. Meanwhile, mixed messages caused the non-ticketed to linger for even longer; one guy standing next to us passed out from the heat. And while Lora and I were able to get inside with the help of a Broncos PR representative who allowed us to hang out with the press, plenty of others weren't so lucky.

Of course, the Broncos treated this particular variation on an orange crush like a triumph, issuing the following tweet:

strong #BroncosCountry, we loved celebrating #BackTogetherSaturday with you! pic.twitter.com/Et9beo3v6u

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) July 30, 2022

The boast about the throng turned out to have negative repercussions. As reported by ESPN's Jeff Legwold, fire marshals were alarmed by the 7,121 figure, since the capacity for the facility approved by Arapahoe County officials in 2013 was only 3,200. Granted, this total had been exceeded numerous times in the past, especially in the Peyton Manning era — but the way the Broncos trumpeted the overage this time around prompted a crackdown — hence the new 3,000 fan cap and a ticketing system to ensure that it wasn't exceeded.

The new rules were in place as of the July 28 launch of training camp, and by August 5, word had clearly gotten around about the ticket requirement and the strict adherence to county regulations. No one was anywhere near a sign for fans without passes, and the type of lines that wrapped around the fieldhouse last year were entirely absent. Our quartet walked straight up to the entrance and weren't subjected to the sort of bag searches and pocket emptying that made the 2022 visit so chaotic and ineffective, either. It took the four of us about thirty seconds combined to go from security personnel to greeters who handed us a roster card and a coupon for a bottle of water before thanking us for being there.
On the hillside, there was plenty of elbow room — around ten feet between most groups by the time proceedings officially began. But whereas the Hackett practices had featured lots of music and a party atmosphere, as well as greetings from Wilson and defensive stalwart Justin Simmons, the Payton version was marked by silent speakers and a complete lack of engagement with the crowd. The players simply milled around on the turf for a few minutes before someone squeezed off a blast on an air horn and the drills started.

When the Broncos began to rack up both losses and injuries amid the 2022-2023 campaign, pundits were quick to blame Hackett's training-camp regimen, which minimized contact to an extreme degree. Payton promised that he would take the opposite tack, and he was as good as his word. Linemen were soon crashing into each other at closer to full speed than Hackett allowed, and several of the routines were notably aggressive — like the exercise that required a player to clobber a blocking sled, then disengage and try to catch a wheel simulating a running back. It's unclear if these changes will work, particularly given the fact that wide receiver Tim Patrick and linebacker Jonas Griffith have already suffered season-ending medical conditions. But the vibe was certainly different.
So, too, was the attempt to remove the focus from Wilson, whose first year with the Broncos was an utter embarrassment. During most of the practice's first hour, Russ was kept at the far end of the field, as far from the hill as possible, as if Payton was trying to hide his occasional errant throws from as many witnesses as possible. A considerable distance between the fans and the players was also maintained during scrimmages that pitted offense versus defense. Practically the only time the athletes moved directly toward the audience was during calisthenics, when Payton allowed some low-key music to be played — for about three minutes. Fans responded with cheers, as if this was some of the best stretching they'd ever seen.

No one seemed too upset by the Payton way. These were obviously true Broncos believers, and as witnessed by the large number of people outfitted in Wilson jerseys, they haven't given up hope that the big money ponied up to lure him away from the Seattle Seahawks will eventually prove to have been well spent. But engagement remained low compared to previous years, and even though the temperature never hit scorching levels, plenty of folks wandered off before the final air horn blew — including us.

The latest approach wasn't very exciting to watch. But even if it fails to pay dividends once the season begins, I'll be back at training camp next year, and so will thousands of my friends on the hill. Whether Wilson and a lot of the other current Broncos will join us is another question.