Broncos players and coaches returned to work rested after a full week out of the office.
Two men who apparently got no such reprieve over the Denver bye week: General manager George Paton and vice president of football administration Rich Hurtado.
Instead, they negotiated and finalized three in-house player extensions for core pieces to Sean Payton’s puzzle. Defensive lineman Malcolm Roach, center Luke Wattenberg and kicker Wil Lutz aren’t superstars, but each is a key player in his own right, each was set to hit free agency after the season and now each is signed with the Broncos through at least 2028.