"They didn’t put any CFL teams on there, so I’m not surprised," Foxworth said. "It’s all teams that I expected we should play. I’m excited for a chance to play the (Pittsburgh) Steelers and another chance against the (New England) Patriots. They’re good measuring sticks every year."

The Patriots contest is one of two Broncos games to air on NBC’s new Sunday night television package. Two other prime-time games and a season-opening contest at St. Louis also highlight the late.

Denver will play three consecutive games in prime time, beginning with the Patriots on Sept. 24. The Broncos have a Week 4 bye, then come home on Oct. 9 to face the Baltimore Ravens on MNF in Denver. Six days later, the Broncos’ home clash with the arch-rival Oakland Raiders will take place on Sunday night with a 6:15 p.m. MDT kickoff time.

The league had announced the Broncos’ Thanksgiving night game at Kansas City last month.

Denver’s total of four prime-time games could increase. The times for the Broncos’ games in Weeks 1011, 13-15 and 17 will be determined as the season progresses, per the NFL’s new flexible-scheduling policy, announced Wednesday. The policy is designed to provide the prime-time, over-the-air broadcast with the best possible matchup.

The league will announce which game will be played on Sunday night no later than 12 days prior to game time, with the exception of Week 17, when the determination could be made as late as Dec. 25, six days before the regular season ends on New Year’s Eve.

For now, the Broncos’ Sunday kickoffs for Weeks 10-11, 13-15 and 17 are all set for traditional afternoon times.

The NFL’s scheduling rotation ensures that the Broncos know who 14 of their 16 opponents will be for each season until 2009. The final two opponents are determined by the standings. This year, the last two opponents to be added to Denver’s slate were the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, both of whom finished in first place in their respective divisions, as the Broncos did in the AFC West.

Other highlights of this year’s schedule include …

The Seattle Seahawks’ first visit to Denver since moving from the AFC West to the NFC West in 2002 (Dec. 3);
The Broncos’ first regular-season visits to Cleveland Browns Stadium (Oct. 22), Heinz Field (Nov. 5) and Arizona Cardinals Stadium (Dec. 17);
A third consecutive December trip to San Diego;
A second consecutive year with games on Christmas Eve (Cincinnati) and New Year’s Eve (San Francisco)
The team’s earliest bye week since 1993;
Back-to-back home games to close the regular season for the first time since 1987.

2006 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
WEEK DAY DATE OPPONENT SITE TIME TV
1 Fri. Aug. 11 at Detroit Ford Field 7:30 p.m. EDT CBS4-KCNC
2 Sat. Aug. 19 TENNESSEE INVESCO Field at Mile High 7 p.m. MDT CBS4-KCNC
3 Sun. Aug. 27 HOUSTON INVESCO Field at Mile High 6 p.m. MDT NFL Net.
4 Thu. Aug. 31 at Arizona Cardinals Stadium 7 p.m. MST CBS4-KCNC
2006 REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE
WEEK DAY DATE OPPONENT SITE TIME TV
1 Sun. Sept. 10 at St. Louis Edward Jones Dome 12 p.m. CDT CBS
2 Sun. Sept. 17 KANSAS CITY INVESCO Field at Mile High 2:15 p.m. MDT CBS
3 Sun. Sept. 24 at New England Gillette Stadium 8:15 p.m. EDT NBC
4 BYE
5 Mon. Oct. 9 BALTIMORE INVESCO Field at Mile High 6:30 p.m. MDT ESPN
6 Sun. Oct. 15 OAKLAND INVESCO Field at Mile High 6:15 p.m. MDT NBC
7 Sun. Oct. 22 at Cleveland Cleveland Browns Stadium 4:05 p.m. EDT CBS
8 Sun. Oct. 29 INDIANAPOLIS INVESCO Field at Mile High 2:15 p.m. MST CBS
9 Sun. Nov. 5 at Pittsburgh Heinz Field 4:15 p.m. EST CBS
10 Sun. Nov. 12 at Oakland McAfee Coliseum 1:05 p.m. PST CBS ^
11 Sun. Nov. 19 SAN DIEGO INVESCO Field at Mile High 2:15 p.m. MST CBS ^
12 Thu. Nov. 23 at Kansas City Arrowhead Stadium 7 p.m. CST NFL Net.
13 Sun. Dec. 3 SEATTLE INVESCO Field at Mile High 2:15 p.m. CST FOX ^
14 Sun. Dec. 10 at San Diego Qualcomm Stadium 1:15 p.m. PST CBS ^
15 Sun. Dec. 17 at Arizona Cardinals Stadium 2:05 p.m. MST FOX ^
16 Sun. Dec. 24 CINCINNATI INVESCO Field at Mile High 2:15 p.m. MST CBS
17 Sun. Dec. 31 SAN FRANCISCO INVESCO Field at Mile High 2:15 p.m. MST FOX ^

Chukwurah (6-foot-1, 250 pounds) is entering his sixth NFL season and fourth year with the Broncos, who signed him as a free agent on Dec. 24, 2003. Selected by Minnesota in the fifth round (157th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft, Chukwurah played his first two professional seasons with the Vikings and spent the 2003 training camp with Houston.

Chukwurah has played 55 career regular-season games (5 starts) and recorded 29 tackles (16 solo), 3.5 sacks (37 yds.), two pass breakups and three forced fumbles. The 27-year-old also owns 34 career special-teams tackles in regular-season play and has appeared in three playoff contests.

In 2005, Chukwurah saw action in 14 regular-season games (0 starts) for the Broncos and posted two tackles (1 solo) on defense while ranking sixth on the club with seven special-teams tackles. Chukwurah was a regular on a Denver special-teams unit that helped the team tie for the NFL lead in fewest opponent drives started past the 50-yard line (10).

Chukwurah played 14 regular-season games (0 starts) for Denver in 2004 and recorded four tackles (3 solo), one sack (12 yds.), one forced fumble and one pass breakup. He started five games during his first two professional seasons in Minnesota and registered double-digit tackle totals on special teams in each of those years with the Vikings.

At the University of Wyoming, Chukwurah was a three-year starter and earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference recognition as a senior. He finished his collegiate career ranked 11th in school history with 245 tackles and added 27 sacks in 45 games played.

An honorable mention all-state defensive end/outside linebacker as a senior at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, Patrick Chukwurah was born March 1, 1979, in Nigeria.

Warren signed for six years, Dayne for three and Leach for four.

Warren joined the Broncos last season and had 44 tackles, three sacks and three pass breakups. He helped Denver rank second in run defence at 85 yards a game, the third-best mark in franchise history.

"Gerard joined our team in 2005 and made an immediate impact on the defensive front," general manager Ted Sundquist said. "Players of his ability are very difficult to come by, and ensuring that Gerard remained a Bronco was one of our top off-season priorities."

Warren played his first four seasons in Cleveland, which selected him with the third overall pick in 2001 out of Florida. He has played 76 career regular-season games (75 starts) and totaled 289 tackles (187 solo), 19 1/2 sacks (125 yards), 13 pass breakups, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

A third-stringer last year, Dayne will get a shot at the lead running back role with the recent departure of Mike Anderson, a salary-cap casualty.

"Ron showed us in 2005 that he certainly has the skills to be a productive part of the Broncos’ rushing attack," Sundquist said. "His contributions should only be greater in 2006, and we feel he has finally found a place where he can showcase his talent."

Dayne, who won the 1999 Heisman Trophy when he set the career college rushing record at Wisconsin, is entering his seventh NFL season. He spent his first five years with the Giants but after a rookie season in which he rushed for 770 yards and five scores for a team that advanced to the Super Bowl, he never lived up to his college credentials.

Dayne played in 10 games for Denver last season and averaged 5.1 yards on 53 carries with one touchdown. Although his carries were limited while backing up Anderson and Tatum Bell, he played a significant role in two crucial victories.

Leach, a part-time tight end who joined the Broncos as a free agent in 2002, has handled Denver’s long-snapping duties in every game for the last three seasons and served as the team’s long snapper for the final eight games in 2002 after signing as a free agent.