The Denver Broncos offense may have a specific Sean Payton wrinkle worth watching in 2026.
ESPN analyst Matt Bowen named the Broncos as his “team to watch” in 22 personnel, a package featuring two running backs, two tight ends and one wide receiver. Bowen pointed to Payton’s ability to use fullback Adam Prentice in traditional power looks, while also shifting him into formations that resemble 13 personnel. Most importantly for Denver, Bowen noted that quarterback Bo Nix averaged 7.7 yards per attempt on passes out of 22 personnel in 2025.
That is the part that should matter most to Broncos fans.
This is not just about going bigger to run the ball. For Payton, 22 personnel can be a way to make defenses declare their intentions before the snap, simplify the picture for Nix and create more efficient throws without taking Denver out of a physical identity.
Sean Payton Can Use 22 Personnel to Help Bo Nix
On paper, 22 personnel sounds old school. Two backs. Two tight ends. One receiver. Heavy bodies. Condensed formations. Short-yardage football.
But Payton’s best offenses have rarely been that simple. The value is in what defenses have to do against it.
If opponents answer with base personnel, Denver can spread the formation and look for favorable matchups in the passing game. If defenses stay lighter, the Broncos can lean into the run game and force smaller defensive backs to handle bigger bodies at the point of attack.
That is where Nix fits into the bigger picture. Denver does not need every explosive play to come from a pure spread look. The Broncos can create shot plays and intermediate throws from formations that initially look like run-heavy packages.
Bowen’s ESPN analysis framed 22 personnel as a package that can still be used for downhill runs, but also as a matchup tool when tight ends and move players flex away from the formation. That is exactly the kind of detail that makes this more than a niche offseason note for Denver.
For Nix, the benefit is simple: cleaner reads, defined coverages and throws tied to run action.
Adam Prentice Gives Broncos a Useful Formation Piece
Prentice is the player who makes this especially interesting.
Prentice’s role had already grown late in the 2025 season. The Broncos’ official site noted in December that Prentice had played at least 10 offensive snaps in six straight games, including a season-high 30 snaps in a Week 14 win over the Raiders.
That matters because a true fullback gives Payton answers without substituting.
Prentice can line up in the backfield and lead on downhill runs. He can move across the formation. He can help Denver shift from a two-back look into something that functions more like a three-tight-end package. That forces defenses to adjust on the fly rather than simply matching personnel from the sideline.
For a Payton offense, that kind of flexibility is the point. It is not about becoming predictable. It is about making the same group of players look different from snap to snap.
Broncos’ Bigger Offensive Question Is Efficiency
The Broncos’ passing game does not need 22 personnel to become its entire identity. Denver will still have to win from 11 personnel, create explosive plays from spread looks and keep Nix comfortable in obvious passing situations.
But this package could become one of the ways Payton builds a more efficient offense around his quarterback.
Nix is also expected to be ready for training camp. Payton said in May that Nix was “doing great” in his recovery and would be “full speed” by training camp, according to the Broncos’ official site. That gives Denver a full summer to sharpen the timing and disguise that these heavier packages require.
The Broncos’ 2026 offense will ultimately be judged by production, not formation variety. Still, ESPN’s note is a useful clue about where Denver could find an edge.
If Payton can use 22 personnel to protect Nix, run the ball with more authority and manufacture favorable throws, the Broncos may have a package that does more than help in short yardage.
It could become one of the clearest signs of how Payton wants this offense to grow around Nix.
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