{"id":48468,"date":"2025-05-14T03:59:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T03:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/48468\/"},"modified":"2025-05-14T03:59:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T03:59:14","slug":"broncos-to-open-regular-season-against-titans-top-pick-cam-ward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/48468\/","title":{"rendered":"Broncos to open regular season against Titans, top pick Cam Ward"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Denver Broncos defense might be licking its chops at the opportunity in front of it in Week 1.<\/p>\n

According to a report from Fox Sports, the Broncos will open the 2025 regular season against the Tennessee Titans, who could be unveiling No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward<\/a> as their starting quarterback.<\/p>\n

Each of the last five quarterbacks taken with the top overall pick has started in Week 1. The last quarterback selected No. 1 overall who did not start his team\u2019s opener was Cleveland\u2019s Baker Mayfield in 2018.<\/p>\n

The Broncos defense might give the Titans pause before making it six in a row.<\/p>\n

Denver\u2019s defense led the NFL last year with a franchise-record 63 sacks, paced by second-team All-Pro Nik Bonitto. Edge rusher Jonathon Cooper also had 10.5 sacks, while defensive end Zach Allen, also a second-team All-Pro, amassed a league-leading 40 quarterback hits.<\/p>\n

On the back end, the Broncos have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II. To that stew, they added safety Talanoa Hufanga<\/a> and linebacker Dre Greenlaw<\/a>, with Alex Singleton returning from a torn ACL<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In other words, it\u2019s a stew that bubbles over with danger for a rookie quarterback.<\/p>\n

Throw in the hostile Empower Field at Mile High environment, and one wouldn\u2019t blame Titans coach Brian Callahan \u2014 a former Broncos assistant coach (2010-15) who understands just how raucous the din can be \u2014 for opting to delay Ward\u2019s maiden voyage for more benign conditions on a future Sunday.<\/p>\n

Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said after the draft<\/a> that the team would not install Ward as the starter immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not gonna name any starters here, though, right now in the offseason,\u201d Borgonzi said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Titans brought back Will Levis, a 2023 second-round pick who started nine games as a rookie and 12 games last year. Tennessee also added ex-Broncos reserve Brandon Allen and journeyman backup Tim Boyle in March. Allen started three games for Denver in November 2019 before giving way to Drew Lock.<\/p>\n

BRONCOS BACK AT HOME FOR THE OPENER<\/p>\n

Denver returns home for Week 1 after opening at Seattle last year. The Broncos have lost their last two Week 1 home games, to Las Vegas in 2023 by one point<\/a> and Tennessee in 2020 in a game played in front of no fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

Overall, Denver is 30-9-1 in Week 1 home games.<\/p>\n

Prior to 2020, the Broncos had won seven consecutive Week 1 home games, and 10 of 11.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s also worth noting that in the nine seasons that the Broncos lost Week 1 home games, Denver failed to finish with a winning season eight times. Failure was usually a harbinger of frustration to come.<\/p>\n

Fortunately for the Broncos, facing a team that is 9-32 in its last 41 games and is coming off a season in which it was the NFL\u2019s worst offers a high potential of starting the campaign with a win in their back pocket.<\/p>\n

\t
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