USA American Football

Broncos CB Pat Surtain II named NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year

Broncos CB Pat Surtain II named NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year

07/02/2025, USA, American Football, NFL, Article # 32194068

NEW ORLEANS – Pat Surtain II has become seen by making receivers invisible.

He has been good since he entered the league. Now, he is stamped with greatness.

Surtain joined Hall of Fame linebacker Randy Gradishar as the only Bronco to win the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year honors. Gradishar claimed his award in 1978. Surtain was given his on Thursday night at the NFL Honors awards show.

“It is special to me, and I know it is special to Broncos Country,” Surtain said. “I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. But when they called my name, I let out a deep breath. It was a very gratifying feeling. I am honestly thankful and very humbled to get this award.”

A humid night at Saenger Theatre on Canal Street will remain embedded in Surtain’s brain. He grew up the son of an NFL cornerback. He felt like he was destined to play in the league. To receive this honor in New Orleans where his mom and dad are from made it resonate even more.

“Having so many people in my support system is huge,” Surtain said. “Coming back here and having so many aunties and cousins here, I am happy to represent the city and make them proud. It is a bit surreal.”

Surtain is the first cornerback to win the award since Stephen Gilmore in 2019 with the New England Patriots. Edge rushers rank as favorites because of their obvious impact plays and highlights. Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt appeared to have a path to the award, but fell into a slump along with this team, finishing with 11.5 sacks. Watt registered no sacks or quarterback hits over the Steelers’ final three games, all Steelers losses.

That allowed Surtain to move into the spotlight. He was helped by Denver ascending into contention, which resulted in the team’s first playoff berth since 2015, while snapping a streak of seven straight losing seasons. In the end, Surtain won convincingly. He received 26 votes, well ahead of runner-up pass rusher Trey Hendrickson (11), Myles Garrett (five), Watt (3) and Zack Baun.

“To win as a corner, it’s different. It doesn’t happen very often. It shows you how special he is,” said Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton, who attended NFL Honors as the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. “He deserves it.”

Surtain, 24, finished with 45 tackles and tied his career-high with four interceptions. His pick-six against the Raiders changed the course of the game, and helped him lead the league in interception return yardage with 132. Surtain finally broke through after the Broncos were close multiple times through the years. Von Miller finished second to Chicago’s Khalil Mack in 2016 and Champ Bailey was the runner-up to Miami’s Jason Taylor in 2006.

“Sometimes it is hard for corners to get the flashy stats,” Surtain said. “We don’t get looked at that often. I know when the plays came my way I capitalized on them. It’s definitely a good feeling that people did their film study and their research.”

For Surtain, his satisfaction came from the season. The winning. Seeing his teammates shine as edge rusher Nik Bonitto and defensive end Zach Allen both received All-Pro honors.

“I have played it my whole life. Seeing other guys succeed, that’s what I really like. When I see guys on my team reach their potential, and get their honors or contracts, I like seeing that,” Surtain said. “I grew up loving the game by performing at a high level consistently.”

Being in the city of the Super Bowl makes it easy to frame his expectations moving forward. He has won the top defensive award. He would prefer to miss the NFL Honors moving forward, signaling he is playing in the big game.

“It definitely feeds the hunger. It’s definitely somewhere where I want to be. That’s the next big achievement, getting to a Super Bowl,” Surtain said. “I want to reach that point where I have a chance to hoist the Lombardi (Trophy).”



https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/06/broncos-pat-surtain-ii-wins-nfl-defensive-player-of-the-year/
Renck: Colorado sports staple Alan Roach’s voice makes every game big — including the Super Bowl

NEW ORLEANS – Alan Roach looks like he sounds. He is tall and walks with confidence.

His voice makes everything feel important. When roughly 117 million people tune into Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Roach will represent the most obvious Colorado connection.

His deep, resonant pipes have become part of the sports soundtrack of our lives. He is working his 17th Super Bowl as the public address announcer.

“I remember waking up the day of Super Bowl 40 and thinking, ‘Oh my God,’” Roach told The Denver Post between rehearsals this week. “It will be the same on Sunday. I have been lucky to have a lot of pinch-me moments.”

Roach hails from Minnesota but has lived in Colorado since 1990. He has worked Rockies games and currently serves as the PA announcer for the Avs, Rapids and Minnesota Vikings.

Walk away from a Colorado sports event over the past three decades, and you are as likely to remember the introduction of “DAN-te Bi-CHETTE!” or “AV-al-LANCHE GOAL!!!” as a moment on the field or ice.

“He is the Barry White of all PAs,” former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said this week.

White had the smooth voice of an earthquake. It is Roach, however, who left a music icon shaking as he prepared for his first Super Bowl in Detroit. Stevie Wonder was the pregame entertainment, along with young new artists John Legend and Alicia Keys. After a long practice run, Wonder sat at his piano, and staff checked in to make sure he was OK.

“I didn’t know that we were going to have God announcing for us today,” Wonder said.

Those wake-up-and-pinch-yourself moments? Yeah, this was one.

“It was incredible to hear that,” Roach said.

Public address announcer Alan Roach will be doing his 16th Super Bowl this Sunday in New Orleans. (Provided by Alan Roach)
Public address announcer Alan Roach will be doing his 16th Super Bowl this Sunday in New Orleans. (Provided by Alan Roach)

Roach, 58, follows a simple routine leading up to the big game. He travels with medication in case of a sore throat, but credits twice-a-day neti pot nose rinses for helping him to never miss an assignment. There are 10-hour rehearsals for the game day festivities, including the national anthem. About 10 minutes before kickoff, Roach will go over the names of the players for the Chiefs and Eagles.

“I don’t get nervous,” said Roach, crediting special events producer Bob Becker and his crew for making his work seamless. “I just make sure to write the names out clearly beforehand, then get them right 100% of the time.”

If only it were that easy. Roach brings a game to life. He loves football because he is involved in every play. He has the ability to speak to the world while making it feel like he is talking to an audience of one.

“Football is the most fun for me to do,” said Roach, who lives in Colorado and misses roughly six Avs games a year to work for the Vikings. “I am so into the game, just like a radio announcer would be.”

But hockey, for many, has become his sweet spot. His cadence and his call have become synonymous with the Avs, including two championship runs.

“Hearing him is like coming home to a Christmas dinner cooked by your mom. It’s your life, what you know. He has become part of the brand, part of the team,” said Altitude anchor Kyle Keefe, who hired Roach for the role years ago. “When I hear his voice on Vikings games, it’s almost like he’s cheating on us. And it’s just because he has become so synonymous with the Avalanche.”

He is so valuable to the Avs that he works their annual charity brunch for kids. It would not be the same without him.

“We have to have him there to introduce the players. Gotta have his voice,” said Steve Johnston, executive producer for the Nuggets, Avs and Mammoth at Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. “He is not a hype person. He brings the energy through his voice. He is just a total pro.”

Roach is so well-known — he’s also the greeting voice on the trains at DIA — that more than a few people have asked him to record their outgoing voicemail messages. He will only do it if they write out the script, and “It has to be funny.”

Alan Roach works as a KOA radio sideline announcer on the sidelines of the AFC Championship game at Invesco at Mile High on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)
John Leyba, Denver Post file
Alan Roach works as a KOA radio sideline announcer on the sidelines of the AFC Championship game at Invesco at Mile High on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

It was never Roach’s dream to make a living as a public address announcer. Under his given name, Kelly Burnham, he started in radio before his junior year of high school in Brainerd, Minn., plugging in commercials during Twins games. His first PA gig was for the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox in 1990. That led to work in Denver, where he evolved into a staple on The Fox and as a sports reporter for 850 KOA.

Since 2015, he has functioned exclusively as a PA, his voice echoing at All-Star Games, World Cups and the Olympics.

If you want to know if an event is a big deal, just listen for Roach’s familiar baritone.

“I will get goosebumps on Sunday. And they come from ‘Are you kidding me? I am the one person in the world who gets to announce the Super Bowl,’” Roach said. “To have this opportunity, you can’t imagine how grateful I am.”

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https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/06/alan-roach-pa-announcer-super-bowl-avs-renck/
Broncos season ticket prices increasing by average of 8% as renewal rate remains strong

Broncos season ticket prices increasing by average of 8% as renewal rate remains strong

07/02/2025, USA, American Football, NFL, Article # 32193949

NEW ORLEANS — Fresh off ending an eight-season playoff drought, the Broncos opened their season ticket renewal process Thursday with prices rising at a rate below industry trends.

Season tickets will rise by roughly 8% across nearly 20 sections of Empower Field at Mile High, according to data provided by the team. That increase falls well below an average increase of 12% for other NFL teams playing nine home games in 2025.

The price adjustment stems from multiple data-driven factors, including primary and secondary market demand along with league and market research as the team returned to the playoffs after an eight-year drought.

Despite the increase, 25% of the Broncos’ tickets still remain under $100, according to a club official.

Since purchasing the team in August of 2022, the Walton-Penner ownership group has spent approximately $100 million upgrading Empower Field and improving fan satisfaction.

According to league data cited by the team, the Broncos have gotten better, ranking 10th in customer service, top five in gameday experience and top three in ticket demand.

Team president Damani Leech sent a letter to season ticket holders on Thursday thanking them for their support and detailing how they could renew their tickets.

The Broncos’ success has had an impact — even for a team with the longest sellout streak for a professional sports franchise in one North American city since 1970. The season ticket renewal rate was 96% last season and is currently tracking at 98%. The waitlist has jumped from 108,000 to 110,000 year over year, per the club.

The Broncos have remained a popular watch with tickets going for 35% above face value on the secondary market as recently as last year. This season the Broncos will play a strong nine-game home schedule featuring the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

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https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/06/broncos-season-ticket-prices-increase-2025/
Renck: How Vic Fangio bounced back after Broncos, the oldest coordinator leading youngest defense to

NEW ORLEANS — The oldest NFL defensive coordinator slips into a gray chair, tucked in the back row of a hotel conference room. Super Bowl kickoff is four days away, and there are wrinkles to iron out. He chomps on his gum with impatience, the watch on his left wrist screaming to be checked.

He doesn’t want to leave. But he doesn’t want to be here.

It isn’t that Vic Fangio minds talking football — he could provide a PhD lecture on the 3-4, the 4-3 and ILBs. He just has better things to do. Like watching film. Analyzing tendencies. Studying data.

What the numbers show is remarkable. At 66 years old, Fangio has the league’s youngest defense. And the best. When looking for reasons the Eagles could prevent a Chiefs three-peat, their defense ranks behind only running back Saquon Barkley.

Fangio could not turn the Broncos around in his three seasons as head coach, but as a coordinator he has few peers.

He inherited the league’s worst group, and the Eagles finished this season first in total defense and second in scoring. It marks the first time they’ve ranked in the top two in those categories since 1981. That was four years before Fangio began his pro career with the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars, handpicked by Jim Mora as an assistant just two years removed from leading the defense for Dunmore High School in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Fangio grew up a Philadelphia sports fan and now is a central figure in the Eagles’ attempt to win a second title.

Did he ever think he would have an opportunity to coach with this much at stake again after things did not go according to plan in Miami and Denver?

“I wouldn’t have left Miami to come here if I didn’t. They had a good team in place here. But we had to retool the defense,” Fangio said matter-of-factly.

Fangio is four decades older than most of his players. Ernest Hemingway had “The Old Man and the Sea.” The Eagles have “The Old Man and the D,” so coined by ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio.

“I just knew the scheme would work,” said Fangio when I asked him about connecting with the younger generation of athletes. “We just had to have good players.”

Football, for Fangio, is as much a game about aptitude as execution. You can’t have one without the other. And the connecting thread is communication. In Denver, Fangio’s defenses were decent in two of his three seasons. He was miscast as the boss — paying too little attention to the offense and special teams — and undermined by inadequate quarterback play and a worldwide pandemic.

“It was a great opportunity. We overcame some of the challenges, but not enough of them. I don’t regret going there at all. I just wish we had won more games. COVID made it difficult, trying to be the head coach, defensive coordinator and having that come across my desk,” Fangio said. “And to get to this level, to a Super Bowl, your quarterback doesn’t have to be a Hall of Famer, but he has to be competent and be able to win some games. The last year I was there, (Teddy) Bridgewater was 7-5 in the games he started and finished. Maybe if he hadn’t gotten hurt you would have been stuck with me another year.”

A Fangio encore was set to happen. Sean Payton and Fangio both sat out the 2022 season. Payton arranged to bring him to his next stop. But Denver would have been awkward for Fangio, returning only one year after getting fired.

“That was the plan to go with Sean. And if he had gotten any other job I probably would have gone with him,” Fangio said. “It was just too soon.”

All the concern of him being too old and the players too young has dissolved. He has been the right man at the right time since Week 5. The Eagles rank first in points allowed per game (15.9) and have delivered 30 takeaways, including 10 in the playoffs.

“Vic is a wizard. He just develops that trust over time with his players,” defensive end Brandon Graham said. “He held us accountable all the way through.”

Added All-Pro inside linebacker Zack Baun, a free agent discovery by Fangio, “He’s cool. He’s hard on us, a tough egg to crack but he will joke around a little bit.”

Fangio is direct, intentional. Those are the modern adjectives. In truth, he is brutally honest.

“I don’t wake up saying I will be that way. It’s just who I am. I never demean players,” Fangio said. “I just let them know what I want. I think they appreciate that.”

The Eagles responded. Young players like Cooper DeJean say they “love it,” and veterans admit they needed it. Now all they have to do is stop Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, who is 8-0 lifetime against Fangio, a record connected to terrible Broncos offenses more than anything else.

“Is it a fun challenge? You think I am a masochist? I would rather be playing Tulane,” Fangio said. “They haven’t lost many games to anyone. He is the reason why. But I think our guys are up to it.”

So Fangio sits on the biggest stage in New Orleans where his career took off coaching the Saints’ Dome Patrol linebackers Pat Swilling, Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills and Vaughan Johnson.

The only thing missing from his career is a Super Bowl ring. Fangio acknowledged its importance, calling the achievement the “pinnacle.” A few moments later, a PR staffer announces no more questions. The news conference is over. But this is not the end for Fangio.

He has one more game to win.

“He’s grumpy but I can tell deep down he’s enjoying this,” defensive end Josh Sweat said. “It would mean everything to get this for him.”

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https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/05/vic-fangio-eagles-super-bowl-broncos-oldest-coordinator-renck/
School districts hit pause on Broncos helmet donation program amid liability, data concerns

The Broncos’ helmet donation program has hit a snag.

All In, All Covered, an initiative the Broncos announced last week, plans to donate 15,516 new Riddell Axiom helmets across each high school program in Colorado over four years.

But the single largest philanthropic investment in team history is encountering pushback from school districts across the state, with at least 10 districts halting involvement in the program due to concerns over the smart helmets’ data.

“We are in a holding pattern and pausing at this point,” Cherry Creek School District athletic director Larry Bull told The Denver Post. “We are waiting for some more information regarding the data collection and use of. Once we have the information, we will meet with our legal department, risk management, data group and our health services to determine next steps.”

Denver Public Schools, Jeffco Public Schools, Douglas County School District, Pueblo County School District 70, Adams 14 School District, St. Vrain Valley School District, School District 49, Colorado Springs School District 11 and Rocky Ford School District are among the districts that have also paused their involvement.

Potential liability and student privacy are driving the districts’ concerns. Administrators fear that if a player suffers a concussion, the helmet data could open up the coach, school and district to legal action.

“I do have some concerns that this data can be used against coaches and programs,” Rocky Ford athletic director Sean McNames said. “I think there is always concerns when someone else is going to be collecting and analyzing data. … Right now I feel stuck in limbo without enough information to move forward.”

According to the program playbook sent by the Broncos to high school coaches, “Riddell owns the data (from the helmets) and uses the deidentified information for product development, support and enhancements.”

The playbook says that the majority of head scans, which are done by Riddell reps in person, should be completed by March 1 in order for schools to receive the custom-fit helmets in time for the 2025 season.

The Post has contacted more than two dozen school districts across the state, none of which have confirmed participation in the program. As of Wednesday, several of the state’s largest districts have instructed ADs and coaches to not opt in.

“… Until we have gained all the adequate approvals NO school should have Riddell on campus conducting 3D imaging/sizing of your students,” Jeffco administration wrote in an email sent to schools this week. “Additionally, no AD or Coach should sign an agreement with Riddell or the Broncos until we have an opportunity to vet as a district.”

District 11 athletic director Chris Noll was among several administrators contacted by The Post who said they remained excited about the program despite initial concerns. But he also cited issues for high school teams with transient rosters.

“We’re going to be measuring a whole bunch of heads (via 3-D scans), but are all those kids going to be around on the team on Aug. 1?” Knoll said.

The Denver Broncos Foundation anticipated questions would arise during the rollout and gave itself a buffer to address concerns and still have helmets to teams by the start of the 2025 season.

The Broncos have 11 events planned this month, including Zoom calls and six in-person educational training sessions and demonstrations across the state.

Districts that initially opt out of the program retain the option to participate in future years. For those that opt out entirely, the Broncos will reallocate their portion of donated helmets to other schools.

The first explanatory Zoom call for coaches and athletic directors was Tuesday afternoon.

“A primary goal of the program is to provide resources to schools so they can make informed decisions on behalf of their student-athletes, including whether to anonymize their roster information,” Denver Broncos Foundation executive director Allie Engelken said in a statement to The Post. “The Denver Broncos Foundation, CHSAA and Riddell look forward to continuing to engage in conversations, update resources and transparently share information about the program for those schools interested in enrolling.”

According to Riddell, teams can anonymize rosters through InSite Analytics by assigning each player a serial number. Riddell, which has used InSite Analytics in Axiom helmets since 2022, had 1,415 teams subscribe to the service in 2024. Over 1,100 of them are high school teams.

A four-year subscription to InSite Analytics comes as part of the Broncos’ donation, but teams are not required to use it in order to receive helmets. Teams are, however, required to utilize the InSite Smart Helmet Technology all four years. That technology transmits data directly to Riddell.

That data can be anonymous, as Engelken pointed out, but the school would still need to know what helmet corresponds to what player. That concerns districts wary of how the data could be utilized in the case of a lawsuit, and the possibility of a plaintiff subpoenaing that data as part of their case.

Riddell emphasized that “each high school will determine who on their football staff will receive the InSite Analytics reports — (and) Riddell does not share any information beyond each team’s requested receiver.”

Mullen head coach Jeremy Bennett, whose team used 15 Axioms at the varsity level last year along with the InSite Analytics reporting, said he understands the red tape that comes with getting a program like All In, All Covered approved in a public school district versus a single private school like his.

But he also believes that “we have to embrace this technology,” and says Mullen has been fine with how the data is used and stored by Riddell. Bennett said he sees “the benefit of this technology outweighing any of those (negative) scenarios.”

“This technology is going to make kids safer,” Bennett said. “Can it be weaponized (in the case of an injury)? I don’t know, I think that’s a stretch. But it can be used as evidence if you’re repeatedly letting a kid get away with (poor technique or taking lots of head blows) and you’re not correcting it, because the data is not going to lie.

“The flip side of it is this: Let’s say I’m offered this helmet, and as a district you deny them. Then a kid gets hurt in a (Riddell) SpeedFlex, that doesn’t have (the analytics). Well, that opens the door for a parent to say, ‘My son could’ve been safer, but so-and-so made the decision for us that my kid wasn’t going to wear the Axiom.’ Parents could weaponize not having it.”

In the 2025 Virginia Tech varsity football helmet ratings, the Axiom had a five-star safety rating and was ranked the seventh safest helmet of 34 tested.

For his part, Bennett said the Axioms and its corresponding technology positively impacted player safety. The helmets helped him shape practice plans and drills based on the impact data. He also noted that he used feedback from InSite Analytics during games to be proactive about having his medical staff check on players following high-impact collisions.

“During games, I’m holding the (Riddell Sideline Device) and it will alarm me about a big impact with Player A, and that tells me we need to get him off the field to get checked out,” Bennett said. “What inevitably happens is, and what we have to get away from, is the avoidance of the fact that head trauma is head trauma. Those kids have to be removed immediately if there’s a question about it following (a big hit).

“Kids don’t want to come off the field, so they try to hide it, and what this does is help protect kids from themselves.”

The Axiom helmet is valued at $980 each, according to Riddell’s 2025 catalog, and the Broncos’ overall investment over the four-year program is around $12 million. Each participating program will receive 25% of the donated helmets each year, starting in 2025, with the total number of helmets determined by the average roster size of its classification.

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https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/05/broncos-helmet-donation-liability-data-issue/
Some school districts hit pause on Broncos helmet donation program amid liability, data concerns

The Broncos’ helmet donation program has hit a snag.

All In, All Covered, an initiative the Broncos announced last week, plans to donate 15,516 new Riddell Axiom helmets across each high school program in Colorado over four years.

But the single largest philanthropic investment in team history is encountering pushback from school districts across the state, with at least 10 districts halting involvement in the program due to concerns over the smart helmets’ data.

“We are in a holding pattern and pausing at this point,” Cherry Creek School District athletic director Larry Bull told The Denver Post. “We are waiting for some more information regarding the data collection and use of. Once we have the information, we will meet with our legal department, risk management, data group and our health services to determine next steps.”

Denver Public Schools, Jeffco Public Schools, Douglas County School District, Pueblo County School District 70, Adams 14 School District, St. Vrain Valley School District, School District 49, Colorado Springs School District 11 and Rocky Ford School District are among the districts that have also paused their involvement.

Potential liability and student privacy are driving the districts’ concerns. Administrators fear that if a player suffers a concussion, the helmet data could open up the coach, school and district to legal action.

“I do have some concerns that this data can be used against coaches and programs,” Rocky Ford athletic director Sean McNames said. “I think there is always concerns when someone else is going to be collecting and analyzing data. … Right now I feel stuck in limbo without enough information to move forward.”

According to the program playbook sent by the Broncos to high school coaches, “Riddell owns the data (from the helmets) and uses the deidentified information for product development, support and enhancements.”

The playbook says that the majority of head scans, which are done by Riddell reps in person, should be completed by March 1 in order for schools to receive the custom-fit helmets in time for the 2025 season.

The Post has contacted more than two dozen school districts across the state, none of which have confirmed participation in the program. As of Wednesday, several of the state’s largest districts have instructed ADs and coaches to not opt in.

“… Until we have gained all the adequate approvals NO school should have Riddell on campus conducting 3D imaging/sizing of your students,” Jeffco administration wrote in an email sent to schools this week. “Additionally, no AD or Coach should sign an agreement with Riddell or the Broncos until we have an opportunity to vet as a district.”

District 11 athletic director Chris Noll was among several administrators contacted by The Post who said they remained excited about the program despite initial concerns. But he also cited issues for high school teams with transient rosters.

“We’re going to be measuring a whole bunch of heads (via 3-D scans), but are all those kids going to be around on the team on Aug. 1?” Knoll said.

The Denver Broncos Foundation anticipated questions would arise during the rollout and gave itself a buffer to address concerns and still have helmets to teams by the start of the 2025 season.

The Broncos have 11 events planned this month, including Zoom calls and six in-person educational training sessions and demonstrations across the state.

Districts that initially opt out of the program retain the option to participate in future years. For those that opt out entirely, the Broncos will reallocate their portion of donated helmets to other schools.

The first explanatory Zoom call for coaches and athletic directors was Tuesday afternoon.

“A primary goal of the program is to provide resources to schools so they can make informed decisions on behalf of their student-athletes, including whether to anonymize their roster information,” Denver Broncos Foundation executive director Allie Engelken said in a statement to The Post. “The Denver Broncos Foundation, CHSAA and Riddell look forward to continuing to engage in conversations, update resources and transparently share information about the program for those schools interested in enrolling.”

According to Riddell, teams can anonymize rosters through InSite Analytics by assigning each player a serial number. Riddell, which has used InSite Analytics in Axiom helmets since 2022, had 1,415 teams subscribe to the service in 2024. Over 1,100 of them are high school teams.

A four-year subscription to InSite Analytics comes as part of the Broncos’ donation, but teams are not required to use the data in order to receive helmets. That technology transmits data directly to Riddell.

The data can be anonymous, as Engelken pointed out, but the school would still need to know what helmet corresponds to what player. That concerns districts wary of how the data could be utilized in the case of a lawsuit, and the possibility of a plaintiff subpoenaing that data as part of their case.

Riddell emphasized that “each high school will determine who on their football staff will receive the InSite Analytics reports — (and) Riddell does not share any information beyond each team’s requested receiver.”

Mullen head coach Jeremy Bennett, whose team used 15 Axioms at the varsity level last year along with the InSite Analytics reporting, said he understands the red tape that comes with getting a program like All In, All Covered approved in a public school district versus a single private school like his.

But he also believes that “we have to embrace this technology,” and says Mullen has been fine with how the data is used and stored by Riddell. Bennett said he sees “the benefit of this technology outweighing any of those (negative) scenarios.”

“This technology is going to make kids safer,” Bennett said. “Can it be weaponized (in the case of an injury)? I don’t know, I think that’s a stretch. But it can be used as evidence if you’re repeatedly letting a kid get away with (poor technique or taking lots of head blows) and you’re not correcting it, because the data is not going to lie.

“The flip side of it is this: Let’s say I’m offered this helmet, and as a district you deny them. Then a kid gets hurt in a (Riddell) SpeedFlex, that doesn’t have (the analytics). Well, that opens the door for a parent to say, ‘My son could’ve been safer, but so-and-so made the decision for us that my kid wasn’t going to wear the Axiom.’ Parents could weaponize not having it.”

In the 2025 Virginia Tech varsity football helmet ratings, the Axiom had a five-star safety rating and was ranked the seventh safest helmet of 34 tested.

For his part, Bennett said the Axioms and its corresponding technology positively impacted player safety. The helmets helped him shape practice plans and drills based on the impact data. He also noted that he used feedback from InSite Analytics during games to be proactive about having his medical staff check on players following high-impact collisions.

“During games, I’m holding the (Riddell Sideline Device) and it will alarm me about a big impact with Player A, and that tells me we need to get him off the field to get checked out,” Bennett said. “What inevitably happens is, and what we have to get away from, is the avoidance of the fact that head trauma is head trauma. Those kids have to be removed immediately if there’s a question about it following (a big hit).

“Kids don’t want to come off the field, so they try to hide it, and what this does is help protect kids from themselves.”

The Axiom helmet is valued at $980 each, according to Riddell’s 2025 catalog, and the Broncos’ overall investment over the four-year program is around $12 million. Each participating program will receive 25% of the donated helmets each year, starting in 2025, with the total number of helmets determined by the average roster size of its classification.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.



https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/05/broncos-helmet-donation-liability-data-issue/
He thought he would help Bo Nix. Instead, Samaje Perine turned into key reserve for Chiefs

NEW ORLEANS — Samaje Perine is not the kind of guy who has to go around wearing a name tag. He has a beard that could double as an Eagle’s nest. And he’s easy to recognize on the field with legs that should come with mudflaps.

Broncos fans became acquainted with Perine in 2023 as the veteran running back who turned into a favorite third-down target and a two-minute weapon for Russell Wilson. He figured he could fill a similar role for Bo Nix, who piqued his interest in OTAs.

As Perine stood on the Superdome field during Monday’s media night, he reflected on where he is and where he’s been. Cut by the Broncos on Aug. 26 after the team drafted Audric Estime, Perine now serves as a critical reserve for a Kansas City Chiefs squad trying to become the first Super Bowl team to three-peat.

“It really came down to that first conversation with coach (Andy) Reid. He told me he had been watching me through the years, that he would love for me to come here. It really didn’t take much, you know,” Perine said. “I have been on the other side of what they have been able to do the last few years. I knew wherever I went I could contribute something. I am so lucky to have ended up here.”

Only 29, Perine has the face of a respected elder. Despite joining the Chiefs two weeks before the season and three days after the Broncos cut him, he has found a niche on the field and in the locker room.

“He is a selfless player. He’s here to win. To see how he prepares throughout the week, the way he takes this game so seriously, it’s phenomenal to have a guy like that in our building,” Chiefs center Creed Humphrey said. “He’s someone I got to watch at OU (Oklahoma). Just hearing the stories of him in college and now having him as a teammate, I have a ton of respect for him.”

Perine rushed for 92 yards on 20 carries. He also caught 28 passes for 322 yards. None was bigger than in the AFC Championship game. Needing a first down to seal the victory, Perine lined up in the backfield behind quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He had played nine snaps before this play, touching the ball on exactly zero of them.

On third-and-9 from Buffalo’s 35-yard line, Perine sneaked out into the flat and took a short pass for a 17-yard gain, securing the Chiefs’ fifth Super Bowl berth in the past six seasons.

“That play says a lot about him. He waited until his number was called and was ready,” running back Kareem Hunt said. “He brings a toughness, an attitude. He is a guy who is going to pick up every blitz and make a big play when given the chance.”

While the volume rose during training camp that the Broncos were going younger at running back, Perine tuned out the noise. He hoped he was safe. And besides he was really looking forward to playing with Bo Nix.

“He’s very mature. I haven’t been around that many rookie quarterbacks, but he and Joe Burrow, as far as maturity, are in the same group. Bo came into OTAs with a good grasp on the playbook and all the terminology. He was ready to go,” said Perine of Nix, who won the starting job and threw for 29 touchdowns. “I think if you were inside that building when he first got there, his success was not a surprise. He came in laser-focused. I think he’s just going to keep getting better.”

Perine hopes the same applies to his career. Getting released stung, but it led him back to the sport’s biggest stage. As a member of the Bengals, he lost Super Bowl 56 to the Rams.

This time he is on the favorite, something he doesn’t take for granted.

“You never know what can happen in this league. When I was with Denver, I kept pushing. It was all I could do. I didn’t read too much into the offseason and draft and all that. It was out of my control,” Perine said. “But to be here with a chance to win a ring, it would mean everything. Just everything. You dream of moments like this.”

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https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/04/samaje-perine-chiefs-broncos-super-bowl-bo-nix/
Longtime Broncos assistant Mark Thewes joins Raiders as senior VP of football ops, source says

Mark Thewes arrived in Denver 16 years ago as a former Ohio high school teammate of Josh McDaniels. McDaniels was canned in his second season as the Broncos boss, but Thewes remained, becoming a trusted, stabilizing force for eight more coaches (counting interims) and three general managers.

But a promotion and friendship with a new general manager proved too hard to pass up. Thewes will join former Broncos scout and Raiders GM John Spytek in Las Vegas as senior vice president of football operations, a source confirmed to The Post.

Thewes most recently served as the Broncos vice president of football operations and compliance. He worked as a liaison to the league office and also played a key role in Denver’s analytics department. He was long known as a Swiss Army knife. An accomplished college baseball player, he often threw passes to receivers during drill work at practice or set up equipment. During the messy 2022 season, he was placed in the coaches’ booth to help accelerate the play-calling operation for coach Nathaniel Hackett.

Thewes had multiple opportunities to leave through the years, but his connection to Spytek, a Broncos scout from 2013 to ’15, made this time different. With Spytek in Las Vegas and former Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey now the Jets GM, more Broncos employees may leave for bigger roles. Denver’s coaching and front-office staffs have been picked through this offseason with Mougey, John Morton (Lions offensive coordinator), Declan Doyle (Bears OC), David Shaw (Lions passing game coordinator), Chris Banjo (Jets special teams coordinator) all moving upward. Special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica and linebackers coach Greg Manusky were also let go.

Coach Sean Payton has been interviewing replacements for the vacant positions.

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https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/04/mark-thewes-raiders-football-operations-broncos/
Keeler: Broncos, Bo Nix only a tight end away from catching Chiefs, Eagles

Keeler: Broncos, Bo Nix only a tight end away from catching Chiefs, Eagles

04/02/2025, USA, American Football, NFL, Article # 32188210

What do the Chiefs have that Bo Nix doesn’t? I mean, besides a line judge who actually winks back?

“I think it’s good, obviously, to get here, to understand what it’s like,” the Broncos’ Adam Trautman, affable to the last, told me in Buffalo last month, shortly after the Bills ran him and his mates out of Highmark Stadium in the AFC wild-card round. “And then understand that all these teams are in the playoffs for a reason. You’ve got to be close to flawless to win these games.”

You’ve also got to have a tight end. The cool run shallow crosses like long, slow, deep, soft kisses that last three days.

Saquon Barkleys are harder to find than $4.00 eggs. But if there’s one position on the field that has the most separation between the new-money Broncos and the Super Bowl LIX cage match between Kansas City and Philly, it’s tight end.

Because the good teams, by golly, don’t leave home without one. The Chiefs logged 15 receptions by tight ends that went for 20 yards or more during the regular season. The Eagles had 13. Buffalo totaled 12; Washington logged eight.

The Broncos managed three.

Trautman collected two such grabs; Lucas Krull, one. Broncos Country salutes you, gentlemen. Even as it so badly needs to replace you.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had Travis Kelce long before the Chiefs had Taylor Swift. His Eagles counterpart, Jalen Hurts, has 6-foot-5 Dallas Goedert, who in the NFC title game lit the Commanders up for 85 receiving yards on seven grabs and ran the ball twice for 13 more.

Imagine if Nix had one of those toys to play with, given the brush strokes he left between the hash marks as a rookie QB1. Imagine if Nix had Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers, a 6-4 sledgehammer who caught 112 balls for 1,194 yards and, more impressively, somehow made the Raiders occasionally watchable.

“He’s a true Joker tight end,” Broncos coach Sean Payton gushed of Bowers, a few months back, after the Broncos’ first win over the Silver and Black in Sin City. “And those are — listen, when you have them, there’s nothing better. Because it involves interior people, sometimes not exterior people.”

It involves doing unto others what others liked to do to the Broncos — and to Josey Jewell in particular. Namely, making a downhill defender have to turn on a dime and sprint uphill. All while backpedaling.

All-world tailback Ashton Jeanty would look just as sweet in Broncos orange as he did in Boise blue. But if it’s me, and I get one big swing in the first round of the draft, I’m moving mountains for a franchise tight end to grow with Bo over the next decade. Penn State’s Tyler Warren looks like the second coming of Dallas Clark. Michigan’s Colston Loveland is 6-5 with Spider-Man hands and reportedly runs a 4.7 in the 40-yard dash.

Only Harleen Frances Quinzel loves Jokers as much as Payton. But those guys can be tweener tight ends, too. Right, Jimmy Graham?

“That was the first exposure at this level for me as head coach, where we had Tiki Barber when I was in the Giants. He was a Joker-type player,” Payton recalled last month. “Jeremy Shockey was a Joker-type player. Jason Witten was a Joker-type player early in his career. And so then pretty soon, you had Shockey, then Jimmy Graham, then Darren Sproles, then (Alvin) Kamara (in New Orleans).

“And I didn’t really appreciate it at the time, but in that stretch, we went through a stretch of 15 or 16 seasons with (a) real high-end offense. That maybe (we) didn’t have a receiver get to a Pro Bowl, but those other spots did. And I think in our league, when you look around and you reference, just take some of the top teams — you know, they’ll always remember Kelce with the Chiefs. I don’t know that you’ll remember the receivers, sometimes. …

“Do I think we have some candidates (internally)? Yeah. But that inner triangle of attacking a defense is real important.”

How important? The last nine Super Bowl champs have all featured a tight end who’d caught at least 45 passes during the regular season. The last 10 AFC champions all showcased at least one 45-catch tight end. Of the 10 Super Bowl matchups dating back to Broncos-Panthers, 17 of the 20 participating teams — 85% — brought at least one 45-catch tight end with them to the party.

“Yeah, possession kills,” Trautman noted.

You can platoon at tailback if push comes to shove. You can share the wealth, the load and glory. But like the Swiss franc and the Indonesian rupiah, tight end is a beast to fake. And a joy to cash.

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https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/03/bo-nix-travis-kelce-broncos-tight-end-catching-chiefs-eagles-super-bowl/
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