ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) \u2014 On the first field, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had his best day of training camp, throwing darts to Courtland Sutton and Devaughn Vele while catching a break from having to face Denver\u2019s suffocating defense on Thursday. <\/p>\n
On the far field, Arizona Cardinals star tight end Trey McBride put on a show for his friends and family in his return to his native Colorado, repeatedly getting open for Tyler Murray against a unit missing Nik Bonitto<\/a> (foot) and Dre Greenlaw<\/a> (thigh).<\/p>\n \u201cMe and Kyler had a great connection today,\u201d said McBride, who took a point of pride in finding the gaps against a defense that\u2019s been getting a lot of buzz this summer.<\/p>\n After the spirited joint practice that left both teams satisfied, Broncos coach Sean Payton revealed that Saturday\u2019s preseason game will feature almost exclusively backups, saying that neither he nor Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon \u201care going to play the No. 1s,\u201d save for a handful of players who need some more work.<\/p>\n Payton figured two joint practices in one week going back to last week\u2019s trip to San Francisco were sufficient, so he\u2019s going to sit his starters this weekend but have them make cameos in their preseason finale at New Orleans next week.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a good workday,\u201d McBride said. \u201cThe Broncos brought it. We brought it. And most importantly, everyone came out of here pretty healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n Happy homecoming <\/p>\n McBride, who\u2019s from Fort Morgan, Colorado, and attended Colorado State, had a big fan base at the practice, including former Broncos tight end Joel Dreessen, also from Fort Morgan. Another native son, Calais Campbell, who\u2019s from Denver and grew up a diehard Broncos fan, also had plenty of supporters on hand.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know what\u2019s crazy?\u201d Campbell said. \u201cI did not know (McBride) was from Colorado until like yesterday. I should know everybody from Colorado. He slipped through the cracks. But we talked a little bit about it and it\u2019s really cool because there\u2019s not a lot of us and we definitely have that fraternity and that brotherhood.\u201d<\/p>\n McBride said he was \u201chappy to be back in Colorado \u2014 air\u2019s a little thinner, harder to breathe \u2014 but it\u2019s good to be back, for sure. A lot of family, a lot of friends came out to support. It\u2019s one of the first times I\u2019ve had everyone out here at practice, so it was cool to see them here watching me and more importantly, to get some good work in with the Broncos.\u201d<\/p>\n Hall of Famer Peyton Manning was on hand and he watched the Cardinals\u2019 offensive starters, including Marvin Harrison Jr., the son of one of his favorite targets during his time in Indy, going up against Denver\u2019s front-line defense. <\/p>\n Manning met with McBride and Campbell during water breaks.<\/p>\n Of course, one play in particular came up when Campbell was chatting with Manning \u2014 the time in 2014 when Manning prevented Campbell from getting a pick-6 by tripping him up just shy of the goal line.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a great play by him. He saved the touchdown and they won the game and if we had scored that touchdown, we probably would have won,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cBut, you know, I tell everybody, Peyton Manning could have been an All-Pro linebacker.\u201d<\/p>\n Campbell swan song?<\/p>\n Campbell returned to Arizona for his 18th NFL season at age 38. Asked if he would consider trying to wrap up his career in his native Denver in 2026, he demurred.<\/p>\n \u201cI have no thoughts at all about playing football after this year,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cI\u2019m giving everything I\u2019ve got into this season. So, yeah, there ain\u2019t no tomorrow. I don\u2019t even know if tomorrow exists. All I\u2019ve got is right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Pressed about this being his final NFL season, Campbell said, \u201cI\u2019d be very surprised if it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n But he added a caveat: \u201cI felt like the last couple of years was my last year. So, I will put that disclaimer out there. Last year at this time I felt the exact same way I feel right now. So, you never know.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n