ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Bo Nix escaped and scrambled to his right during a training camp practice last week as defensive backs blanketed his targets and the pass rush closed in around him. The Denver Broncos quarterback turned upfield and sprinted toward the safety who was dropping down to cut off his progress. Then, Nix planted his right foot firmly in the ground and sharply cut inside to continue his run.

Coach Sean Payton has described the traits displayed by Nix in that sequence as his “superpower.”

The evasiveness has helped the Broncos take sacks over the past two seasons at easily the lowest rate in the NFL (3.8 percent of dropbacks). The quarterback’s explosiveness and getaway speed in the open field have helped the Broncos win games, too. Like when he sprinted into the end zone on a combined quarterback crack run in the fourth quarter of a thrilling comeback against the New York Giants. Or when he darted into the open field to push Denver into field-goal range during another final-drive win, this one in Houston. Only Buffalo’s Josh Allen has more quarterback runs of 20 or more yards than Nix (nine) over the past two seasons.

Yet, for all the positives Nix’s feet can produce, the Broncos are targeting a subtle change with their franchise quarterback in his third year that could reduce the frequency with which he relies on them.

“He does a very good job of avoiding the sack, the minus play,” Payton said last week when asked for an area he’d like to see Nix improve in 2026. “Then, because of that, he’s very good with his progression. I mean, clean with it. He’s not someone who’s … slow to process; it’s the other way. So there are sometimes where he’s through one (progression) so fast. … But I’d rather deal with that than the slow processor who’s getting sacked.”

The Broncos have had, by far, the NFL’s best sack differential over the past two seasons (plus-84; 53 points better than the second-ranked L.A. Rams). It is a critical part of their winning formula and a far cry from the minus-10 figure during Payton’s first season in Denver in 2023 with Russell Wilson at quarterback. That’s why Payton made clear the Broncos aren’t trying to keep Nix from accessing a strength that has ample benefits for Denver’s offensive attack. But the coach intimated there are opportunities for Nix to stick longer at times with the early reads in his progression.

“He’s a real good foot athlete,” Payton said. “You don’t feel someone who’s cumbersome at all. I think it’s one of his gifts. Within the framework of each pass play, the (defining) of a three (step drop), three-no-hitch, one big five (step-drop) and a hitch, some of those specifics that put him exactly in time with the depth of the route, I think is something I’m sure he’s working on.”

When Davis Webb was named the Broncos offensive coordinator in February, he quickly went to work on a project with the team’s passing-game staff that served as a deep audit of Nix’s first two seasons as the team’s quarterback. The big-picture goal was to identify how to best build upon Nix’s strengths in ways that benefit the efficiency of the offense as a whole. One aspect of that work, Webb said last week, was making sure routes were being designed to complement the way in which Nix scans the field.

“He’s definitely progressing in that area,” Webb said. “There were some long areas in the offseason with the pass-game staff of really trying to evaluate and watch the last two years of him playing and, ‘How does the first read marry up with our second read depth-wise and play-call wise, (given) where we are at a point in the game?’ I think we’ve done a good job managing that. … I think it’s noticeable the strides he’s taken in hanging on one (read), getting to two and three, and then getting to his legs.”

Webb said he sees a progression with Nix that closely mirrors where Allen was as he entered his third NFL season. The Buffalo quarterback in 2020 — Webb was one of the team’s backups that season — posted a 107.2 passer rating that still stands as the best in his career. He made the Pro Bowl for the first time as his completion percentage jumped from 58.8 as a second-year starter in 2019 to 69.2. Allen benefited that season from the arrival of standout receiver Stefon Diggs, and Webb said in the spring he views new Broncos receiver Jaylen Waddle as a similarly impactful addition.

“I think he’s right on par with the other guys I’ve been around going into Year 3,” Webb said. “I’m really satisfied where he’s at, both getting in and out of plays, getting to the huddle, getting in and out of the huddle fast, checking plays when it’s appropriate, not overthinking, getting completions underneath and using his feet. I think the injury last year, it was important for him to kind of move around a little bit early here, and I think he’s done a really good job. I’m really satisfied with where he is.”

The Broncos’ veteran defense has provided ample opportunities to test the tweaks the Broncos are making offensively. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has shown Nix “every defensive structure imaginable” during the camp’s first three weeks, the quarterback said Monday. Joseph on Saturday credited the way Nix has found answers to the new ways in which he’s being challenged, noting that the quarterback’s deep-ball accuracy has been “off the charts” in camp.

“It’s safeties from everywhere, blitzes from everywhere, fronts from everywhere,” Nix said of the defense. “That just helps you as a quarterback get your eyes up and then slow the game down once you get into a game setting. For me, it’s been irreplaceable to go against VJ, and not only his defense, but I can ask him questions and figure out the ‘why’ behind some things.”

One sign Nix is working on sticking with first reads a little bit more when circumstances allow: He is actually throwing in the direction of All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II. The quarterback during his first two training camps would quickly zoom past his first read if that receiver was being defended by Surtain, a decision commonly made during the season by opposing quarterbacks. In this camp, though, Nix hasn’t been shy about going after Surtain. Success has been predictably limited, but it sheds light on the comfort level Nix has to experiment with things as he prepares for his third season.

“My first two years, if he was over there, I pretty much worked the other side of the field,” Nix said. “But I don’t think that does him (due) diligence. (Let’s) get him better at the same time. I don’t mind throwing it his way and getting an incompletion on the stat sheet just to help him out. And then, every once in a while when you do complete one on him, it’s good for the morale of the offense and shows us we’re also really good and can attack the best player in football on the defense.”

The Broncos will play at least some starters Friday in their preseason opener at Atlanta, but Payton declined to say whether Nix would see the field in a game for the first time since suffering a broken ankle during the playoff win against the Bills. The quarterback, after two offseason procedures on that right ankle, has had a full workload running the first-team offense in camp, and Payton said last week that Nix’s “movement that we’re seeing right now is back to where it was.” That was evident as Nix sprinted into the open field while running the same quarterback sweep play that resulted in that aforementioned touchdown against the Giants.

Broncos trying to ‘get a handle’ on soft-tissue injuries

The Broncos finished Monday’s practice with a tweak to their normal schedule. After end-of-workout wind sprints, the team separated into lines for another stretching session, mirroring the one they conduct to begin practices. That change, Payton said, was a response to a handful of soft-tissue injuries that have crept up for the Broncos in camp over the past two weeks.

“We’ve got to get a handle on the soft tissues,” Payton said. “We’ve had a couple strains — either hamstring or groin — and we continue to fight through that.”

The latest player to deal with one of those issues is running back J.K. Dobbins, who left Monday’s practice early and didn’t return. Payton said he expected Dobbins to be fine and added that the team was “just being smart” with a veteran player with a significant injury history, but it has been a concerning enough issue that the coach addressed it without any prompting as he spoke to reporters following practice. Wide receivers Waddle and Marvin Mims Jr. are among the players who have missed practices in the past week due to the kind of injuries Payton described.

“I don’t think it’s heat related as much as, you’re always trying to look at your pre-practice routine,” Payton said. “Your hydration, obviously. It’s (also) incumbent on the player. It’s hard for anyone to know your soft tissue. I’m always looking at what we did leading up to a period where someone had a strain. We had a warm-down (stretch) after practice and we’ll continue to focus on it.”

After a three-year NBA career and playing pro internationally for nearly a decade, Trajan Langdon became a San Antonio Spurs scout in 2012. Fourteen years, three teams and three roles later, as president of basketball operations, Langdon has spearheaded a turnaround that saw a 14-win Detroit Pistons team blossom into a 44- and 60-win team in consecutive seasons with back-to-back postseason appearances.

The Alaska native adopted a methodical, wait-and-see approach with the Pistons in hopes of giving the team’s core enough time to reach their potential.

Langdon has prioritized internal growth while seeking to improve the team around the margins since arriving in Detroit in the summer of 2024. He’s yet to make a blockbuster trade with the Pistons. Detroit’s acquisition of forward John Collins marks the team’s biggest swing since Langdon took over.

He has, however, surrounded franchise cornerstone Cade Cunningham with veterans such as Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dennis Schröder, Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter. So while the offseason progresses and Jalen Duren’s contract negotiations remain at a standstill, let’s take a look at Langdon’s role in orchestrating the Pistons’ return to relevance.

Signing Daniss Jenkins to a two-way contract (2024)

Last season, Jenkins sat at the postgame podium after leading the Pistons to an early February win over the New York Knicks and spoke about being passed over at the 2024 NBA Draft.

“Going undrafted is insanity to me,” Jenkins said. “Literal insanity. That burns inside of me every single day. That took something away from me.”

Langdon identified Jenkins as a prospect and wasted no time signing him to a two-way deal, which eventually turned Jenkins into one of the biggest surprises with his breakout play last season. Jenkins earned a guaranteed contract shortly after that talk at the podium and carved out his role as the team’s backup point guard in the process.

Signing Jenkins was one of Langdon’s earliest and best moves in Detroit.

Signing Tobias Harris in free agency (2024)

Considering Harris’ value in setting the culture alongside Langdon and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff — not to mention his play on the court — he’s arguably Langdon’s best free-agent signing.

Langdon signed Harris to a reasonable two-year, $52 million deal that was well worth it. Before he departed for the Spurs this summer, Harris spent his first season back in Detroit as Cunningham’s second scoring option and reassumed that role during the playoffs last season. Harris’ impact on the team was felt across the board from the court to the front office.

Harris undoubtedly helped usher the Pistons back to the top of the NBA, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Langdon envisioning him as Detroit’s stretch four.

Waiving Paul Reed to re-sign him to a more team-friendly deal (2024)

Langdon waived the veteran big in December 2024 before his $7.7 million non-guaranteed contract became guaranteed, putting the Pistons $1.4 million under the salary floor. Detroit then signed Reed back to the roster on a prorated veteran minimum for $1.44 million. It was a savvy move that allowed the Pistons to enter the trade deadline with $14 million in cap space as opposed to $10 million.

Inking Reed to a new deal led to Detroit being able to trade for Dennis Schröder at the deadline (see below).

Once the 2025 offseason rolled around, Langdon retained Reed on a two-year, $11 million deal that could be arguably the best value of any center in the association. Reed will step into a more featured role next season as the Pistons’ backup center, making Langdon’s discernment and handling of Reed’s contract situations so impressive.

Acquiring Dennis Schröder from the Utah Jazz (2025)

Detroit knew it needed another quality ballhandler once former Piston Jaden Ivey went down with a fractured fibula. Schröder was the solution. His postseason experience was invaluable and nearly helped push Detroit past the Knicks and into the second round. Cunningham was vocal about Schröder helping him with the nuances of the game that can only be taught by time.

Jenkins essentially assumed Schröder’s role as the backup point guard, but in the playoffs, he couldn’t replicate Schröder’s impact.

Langdon later traded Schröder in a sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings that created a $14.2 million trade exception. He began with KJ Martin, Josh Richardson and a second-round pick, turned that into Schröder — who contributed during the playoffs — and flipped Schröder for the exception, though Detroit never used it.

Signing-and-trading for Duncan Robinson from the Miami Heat (2025)

This sign-and-trade felt like a heist in the moment, favoring the Pistons.

Simone Fontecchio was fresh off an abysmal season that saw him average career lows in points (5.9). Robinson, on the other hand, had averaged 11 points on 39.3 percent from 3 the season prior. Robinson slotted in as Cunningham’s starting backcourt mate for each of his 77 games, while Fontecchio didn’t manage to start a single one of his 75 games in Detroit in 2024-25.

Robinson’s 220 made triples last regular season were more than Fontecchio made during his two seasons with the Pistons, and were tied for the 12th-most makes in the league. Robinson’s 41 percent shooting from long range ranked fourth among that group. This was just another example of Langdon swapping a negative for a positive without having to overpay.

Acquiring Kevin Huerter, pick swap used to trade up to draft Ebuka Okorie (2026)

Sending Ivey to the Chicago Bulls in a three-team deal that brought in Huerter and a pick swap with the Minnesota Timberwolves was likely Langdon’s most polarizing move.

Unfortunately for Ivey, he was unable to return to form in time for a surging Detroit. The move was scrutinized by Pistons fans, but resulted in a shooter off the bench in Huerter — who was signed to a three-year, $27 million deal this offseason. The Pistons also moved from pick No. 28 to 21 in the deal. That pick was then used to trade up to select Okorie. It was yet another Langdon win.

The Bulls have since waived Ivey, who remains a free agent, while Detroit received Huerter and Okorie, who could blossom into a long-term backup point guard and potentially a fringe starter.

Though Langdon has yet to pull off a blockbuster, his track record at identifying players who fit well and his unwillingness to accept a deal unless it’s in the Pistons’ favor has paid off thus far.

ASHBURN, Va. — At last, normalcy has returned for Terry McLaurin.

Mentally, physically and spiritually, the Washington Commanders’ Pro Bowl wide receiver feels better than ever, and the signs of healing and growth have begun manifesting themselves everywhere.

For example, take a moment in last Friday’s training camp practice.

The 30-year-old McLaurin — entering Year 8 in the NFL — explodes off the line while matched up with fellow veteran Rasul Douglas, and Douglas promptly matches McLaurin’s strides and forces him closer to the left sideline as they race toward the end zone. The coverage is great, the placement of quarterback Jayden Daniels’ pass to McLaurin’s back shoulder is better, and McLaurin’s response is most supreme.

At the last second, the 6-foot, 210-pound McLaurin plants his left foot, pirouettes like a ballerina, simultaneously shoots up his hands, plucks the ball from the air and contorts his lower body to get both tiptoes down just across the goal line before tumbling to the ground. In an instant, McLaurin bounces to his feet, flips the ball aside, points at Douglas, nods and smiles.

Stunned that McLaurin managed to get both feet down and complete the tough catch, Douglas could only slap his teammate five. But of course McLaurin — the NFL’s leader in contested catches since his rookie year in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus — made another play. It’s what he does. Or, what he did from 2019 to 2024, when he established himself as one of the most consistently productive and reliable receivers in the league.

Then came 2025 — a tumultuous year wherein McLaurin found himself at odds with the franchise that drafted him in the third round out of Ohio State and whose fans rank him among the most beloved players of the last decade. Then, after resolving a lengthy contract dispute, McLaurin battled injury for the first time in his career. The strife and misfortune rocked the receiver emotionally and led to a grueling journey only exacerbated by struggles that saw his Commanders go from 12-5 with an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2024 to 5-12 and in need of another reset this past winter.

“This last year was the hardest year of my life — from the contract and getting hurt, and you know, I’ve been going through some stuff off the field, just personally,” McLaurin revealed Friday. “It’s been extremely challenging.”

But now, fully healthy and nearly a year after he received his three-year, $97 million contract extension, McLaurin counts his blessings.

“I’ve seen myself grow as a man, grow spiritually, and grow as a teammate,” McLaurin said. “So I just feel like I’m in a great space. … I wouldn’t trade anything because it’s built me into the person I am right now, and I just feel like I’m playing with a type of freedom that I haven’t had. So I’m just looking forward to spilling that out for my team this year.”

Washington and its fans certainly welcome a return to form from “Scary Terry.” For the first six seasons of his career, McLaurin represented one of the few bright spots and sure bets for an organization mired in dysfunction and change.

Two owners, four head coaches, four offensive coordinators, four wide receivers coaches, an astounding 15 starting quarterbacks, and yet, McLaurin always delivered. He recorded five straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2020 to 2024, and during his second Pro Bowl season (2024), racked up a career-high 13 touchdown catches.

“He’s been able to be consistent because he’s a disciplined route runner, and it says a lot of quarterbacks trust him and a lot of coordinators trust him because they’re trying to get him the ball,” Commanders wide receivers coach Bobby Engram explains. “The mentality of being a relentless competitor and truly believing every ball in the air is his ball, and he’s going to get it, that’s what makes him different.”

Terry McLaurin’s uneven 2025 season featured a contract-extension battle and seven games missed due to injury. (Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)

McLaurin always understood his importance to Washington’s offense and organization, or so he thought. But last offseason represented his first true exposure to the business of football — the ugly side of the game. As the Commanders’ view of McLaurin’s worth differed drastically from that of McLaurin and his camp, the wide receiver grappled with how to maintain his mental health and self-belief. Described by anyone close to him as a team-first player, McLaurin struggled with how to conduct himself during negotiations. At one point, he requested a trade despite his strong desire to remain loyal to his teammates.

Eventually, the sides agreed to an extension. But three weeks into the season, McLaurin again found himself in uncharted territory as a quad strain caused him to miss seven games. (McLaurin sustained the injury in Week 3, missed four games, played in Week 8, aggravated the injury and missed the next three.)

Asked to describe the toll both experiences took on him, McLaurin said, “I’ve been somebody who’s kind of struggled with worry, struggled with anxiety, sometimes not feeling good enough. So when you go through contract stuff, when you go through injury, it can kind of make you feel insecure at times.”

A 14-year NFL veteran who played for the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs, Engram knew all too well the struggles his star pupil encountered.

“I understood the business side, having played, so we had to let that work itself out, but you never stop supporting the man, and who he is outside of the player. That’s very important to me,” Engram said. “We knew how much he wanted to be with us and be engaged. It was a difficult time. And for any of us that have been injured, we know when guys aren’t around the team, you feel a certain distance, and I didn’t want him to feel that in any way because he was still such a big part of what we were doing.”

In addition to Engram, McLaurin said he leaned heavily on his wife, Caitlin, teammates and other family members and friends. The devout Christian also said he dug deeply into the Book of Proverbs to gain wisdom on how to deal with anxiety, worry and his identity outside of football.

“My faith has really taught me that Jesus is enough, and that I’m great as I am,” McLaurin said. “I learned when you go through those hard things, (God) is building your character. He’s building your resilience, and he’s building something in you for this world. … I just tried to rest in him and genuinely be a great person for the young guys on this team.”

During his recovery, and because he couldn’t help his team in any other way, McLaurin assumed a more vocal leadership role in the receivers room, something that didn’t always come naturally for him.

McLaurin eventually did return to the field, playing the final six games of Washington’s lost season. His 1,000-yard streak came to an end at five seasons as he finished the year with just 38 receptions for 582 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games. However, Engram and the Commanders view the growth McLaurin achieved as far more valuable for the long term.

“I just see a guy who’s really comfortable being a natural leader now,” Engram said. “It’s been a growth process since I’ve been with Terry. So I’m really proud of how he’s been intentional about that. The work ethic is there, playmaking is still there, but him using his voice more in the locker room has been big.”

Said Daniels, “His presence, his voice, I mean, this is a guy that’s been doing it for countless years. … He’s just a true pro, true vet. You guys see him after practice, coaching up the younger guys, giving the game back, the knowledge — just bringing that energy. So last year was last year, but, you know, now we’re happy to step forward.”

Like McLaurin, Daniels battled injury off and on during the 2025 season. McLaurin said he believes the two grew closer as teammates, taking turns encouraging each other. Now healthy again, they hope to spearhead a newly designed offense led by rookie coordinator David Blough. The unit appears to have just gained another impactful addition in the form of four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who signed with his hometown team last week.

Commanders coaches and officials believe the 32-year-old seven-time 1,000-yard receiver will complement McLaurin nicely. After six seasons of operating as the only consistent receiving threat, McLaurin welcomed the Diggs signing.

“It’s kind of like the Spider-Man meme of them pointing at each other,” McLaurin said. “We just have the same mentality on the field: workhorses who want to be perfectionists, but also energy-givers. I need competitors. Dogs. I think we’re going to just elevate one another. The competitiveness of our room is going to continue to elevate. I think when you put a lot of great players on the football field, it forces the defense to have to respect 100 yards vertically, 53 yards the width of the field. And when you bring a guy like Stefon to our team, he’s a winner. … He’s made players better, quarterbacks, receivers, teams; no matter where he’s gone, and he plays with an edge, similar to myself.”

When discussing the welcome McLaurin extended to Diggs, Engram said, “He’s a genuine guy that just really wants to be a part of something special in terms of a team environment.”

Having overcome the challenges from a year ago, McLaurin believes Washington and its fans are poised to receive the best version of himself yet.

“It’s just too good to have everything normal, and I’m just thankful for what I have: being in Year 8 as a third-round pick, being in a place that’s really just welcomed me, to be a No. 1 wide receiver,” McLaurin said. “Like, God doesn’t have to do another thing for me. He’s overly blessed me. So it’s just about, you know, trying to be used as a vessel and give him the glory through my play. And I think that’s really allowed me to kind of take the pressure of trying to perform. I have a contentment in my heart that’s different, but I’m not satisfied.”

McLaurin catches himself.

“I mean, the satisfaction is just in continuing to put in day-in, day-out work, be the best I can for his glory, and just be a leader out here and try to help (Daniels) and the other guys, and that’s allowed me just to be more free. I’m definitely a testament: When you go through tough times, it really shapes who you are, and it also allows you to know that God’s going to be with you through it.”