First, the Broncos chose to part ways with last year's fifth-round pick, Audric Estime. It's a stunning turn of events for a player who was once considered to be a huge part of Denver's backfield, but things changed this season when the team drafted RJ Harvey and signed J.K. Dobbins.

The Broncos are crowded at cornerback with Pat Surtain, Riley Moss, Ja'Quan McMillian, first-round draft pick Jahdae Barron and second-year defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine, so it's not a surprise to see them part ways with Mathis.

The Denver Broncos have made their first notable move of the 2025 NFL Offseason, parting ways with a recent draft pick.

Denver waived Audric Estime, a fifth-round draft pick in 2024, and Blake Watson, who joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2024. After suffering a PCL strain in the team's preseason finale, Watson received an injury settlement.

In June, Sean Payton told reporters the words that’d come to define the Broncos’ backfield for two months: “Don’t start counting.”

With the preseason finale in the books, the Denver Broncos have begun to trim their roster down to the final 53 players. The deadline to be at 53 players is on Tuesday, August 26, at 2 pm MDT.

The New Orleans Saints capped off their preseason with a game that left many of the same questions and concerns they had coming into camp: