ENGLEWOOD — Yes, Jaylen Waddle looks fully healed from an injury suffered two weeks ago.

In Wednesday’s practice, the Broncos’ speedy receiver beat star cornerback Pat Surtain II on a post pattern. Bo Nix then hit Waddle in stride for a touchdown pass of some 60 yards as fans roared during their final day of being able to watch training camp.

Waddle left a workout at Broncos Park early Aug. 5 with muscle tightness in his leg. He returned to practice this week and could be unveiled in the Broncos’ second preseason game against Green Bay on Friday night at Empower Field.

“Having (No.) 17 out there that can run down the field like that is going to help us a lot,” Denver tight end Evan Engram said of Waddle, acquired in March after five seasons with Miami. “He’s been a problem in this league since he stepped in it and now he’s on our team and he’s going to be great.”

Less enthusiastic about Waddle’s big play was Surtain, a four-time Pro Bowl selection. While Surtain is thrilled to have Waddle, his good friend and former teammate at Alabama, on the Broncos, getting beat by anyone is never fun.

“You definitely understand what I could have done better,” Surtain said. “You sort of go in the film room and you just learn from it and you get better. But it’s practice. At the end of the day, we’re all out there getting better. There’s going to be plays like that happen. … It’s definitely something to learn from.”

Surtain, of course, has had plays in which he got the better of Waddle. He said the two have had their share of jabbering on the field.

“We’re getting after it, a lot of trash-talking out there for sure,” Surtain said. “But that’s everybody. … Obviously, it’s good on good, so there’s going to be a lot of trash-talking out there. So it’s fun. It makes us better.”

So how much trash-talking did Waddle do after he beat Surtain in Wednesday’s padded workout?

“He didn’t do much for real,” Surtain said. “He got a good play.”

Surtain is looking forward to seeing Waddle do some damage against another team. While Waddle sat out Friday’s 27-7 win at Atlanta in the preseason opener, he appears healthy enough to face the Packers.

In five seasons with the Dolphins, Waddle caught 373 passes for 5,039 yards. Surtain made note of how “fast” the receiver is and how he can turn it on at any time.

“He can take a ball like a 5-yard catch and turn it into a 70-yard touchdown,” Surtain said. “That’s the type of player he is. It’s fun watching that in action. It’s great battles, knowing we got that dynamic player on offense as well. Iron sharpens iron.”

Payton talks about ‘tussle’

One day after players got into several fights at practice Tuesday, Broncos coach Sean Payton offered his description of what happened.

“Let’s call it a tussle,” Payton said. “I got a chance to watch the film. There were no punches. It was just a tussle.”

Payton wasn’t available for comment Tuesday after the incident that started when Nix was knocked down after Malcolm Roach, Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper collapsed the pocket. Nix threw the ball at Roach. Soon, the so-called “tussle” shifted into full gear when players went at each other. Nix pulled Bonitto’s leg off a pile, and teammates held back an animated Nix from Bonitto.

Payton talked to the team afterward about the incident. He made note of a new NFL rule that could put players in more jeopardy of being ejected from a game.

“This is our first season where (officials) can go to replay in New York and remove a player,” Payton said. “So with that being the case, it’s going to be hard to be the guy that gets the first jab. They’re going to be able to go to replay and get it right. So we discussed that and we had examples of shoving and then the officials just getting bumped, you’re ejected.”

Nix’s ‘pitch count’

Nix will play in a game for the first time Friday since suffering a broken right ankle in January in a playoff game against Buffalo. Payton expects him to play about 14 snaps.

“We’ll look at the pitch count,” Payton said.

Payton expects other starters to play a similar amount. Payton said reserve quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger also will play but didn’t offer any specifics.

Stidham, last year’s backup, and Ehlinger, who spent most of 2025 on the practice squad, are battling for the No. 2 job. Stidham has the upper hand after a strong showing at Atlanta.

While the Broncos don’t have to make final cuts until Aug. 30, Payton was asked whether they might keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster or just two.

“We were talking about it (Tuesday),” Payton said. “There are so many things that come into that, but we’ve got time for them.”

Throckmorton at center

With starter Luke Wattenberg and top reserve Alex Forsyth working their way back from injuries, Calvin Throckmorton figures to get a second straight start Friday at center.

Wattenberg, hurt in an Aug. 3 workout, returned to practice this week but hasn’t done any team drills. He and Forsyth both sat out against the Falcons. Forsyth didn’t practice the past two days.

Throckmorton, listed as a guard and in his seventh season, never has played center in a regular-season game. But he worked regularly at the spot in training camp with New Orleans in 2021, when Payton coached the Saints.

“When you’re a backup lineman, you’re a flex,” Payton said. “(Being versatile has) helped him play as long as he’s played.”

Rookie Gavin Ortega, Denver’s second center at Atlanta, is in line to again have that role Friday.

Briefly

With the previous Thunder team having retired, the Broncos announced the new team will be headed by program lead and veterinarian Dr. Kelly Tisher and program lead Elizabeth Tisher. The Broncos have had Thunder as an Arabian horse mascot at home games since 1993. … While rookie Jonah Coleman is doing well, Payton continued to say it is “difficult” to play three running backs. The Broncos also have starter J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, last year’s top reserve. … Wattenberg and Forsyth were joined on a side field by linebacker Drew Sanders and wide receiver Michael Bandy, who both didn’t practice all week and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr., who did little during the week.