The all-Denver Broncos die-hards better believe it, there’s a fresh sheriff in town. They flat-out dominated those Los Angeles Rams in that preseason closer with a resounding 41-0 beatdown. The Denver faithful were on their feet, cheering their lungs out.
Albert Okwuegbunam was the star of the night, the one who tossed that gasoline on the bonfire which is Sean Payton’s game plan. This ain’t just some rookie show, Okwuegbunam, a tight end entering his fourth year, was on the chopping block according to many local experts. He was about to get the boot from the Broncos’ 53-man squad when camp started.
#Broncos TE Albert Okwuegbunam went wild last night, including this wild one-handed catch.
Sean Payton after the game said “He had a big night. I mean, holy cow.”pic.twitter.com/Qrmdt7LFxJ
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 27, 2023
But guess what? He put on a show, reeling in seven catches for a whopping 109 yards, averaging a solid 15.6 yards per reception. Wait, and that touchdown catch? Pure magic. Now, it’s harder to imagine him being left off that Denver roster.
Coach Payton couldn’t hide his excitement after the game, saying, “He’s one of those guys – he had a big night. Holy cow.” And the man himself, Okwuegbunam, summed it up pretty darn well: “It was great. One thing about this profession is you don’t get to pick when you get opportunities, but you get to pick when you take advantage of them.”
Now, some Broncos might remember Okwuegbunam hooking up with Broncos quarterback Drew Lock. Back in the days of 2017 and 2018, the due contributed 17 touchdowns like it was nobody’s business.
This ain’t no walk in the park, though. The tight-end competition is fierce, with names like Adam Trautman, Greg Dulcich, Chris Manhertz, and Nate Adkins all vying for that spot.
Albert Okwuegbunam deal in terms of the dollars and cents
Spotrac’s got the details of Okwuegbunam signed up for a cool 4-year ride with the Denver Broncos, a contract worth over $4 million, complete with a sweet $749k+ signing bonus. There’s a $749,044 guaranteed and an average annual salary north of a million bucks.
Speaking of which, his base salary for the 2023 season clocks in at $1.1 million. Not to forget, he was earning $698,400, $910,500, and a smooth $1 million for 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons, respectively.
Now, if we’re talking measurements, this TE stands tall at 6’5’’ and packs a punch at 258 pounds. During his college days at Missouri, he snatched up 98 passes for a total of 1,187 yards and a whopping 23 touchdowns over a span of three seasons.
Now let’s talk about the team journey- The Broncos might’ve suffered a couple of bumps in the road, losing to the Arizona Cardinals by a slim margin of 18-17 in Week 1, and then falling just short against San Francisco in Week 2 with a 21-20 score. But, they rebounded big time in Week 3, as they bulldozed those Los Angeles Rams with that eye-popping 41-0 victory.
Safe to say, it’s time for the real deal now. September 10 is the date fans want to mark down. The Denver Broncos will clash with Las Vegas as they kick off the regular season. Get your popcorn ready, ’cause it’s about to get real.