ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Ready for some football?
The Broncos' 2018 season is still months away, but the initial slate of games was announced Wednesday as Denver released its opponents for its four-game preseason schedule.
Denver will host the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 as quarterback Case Keenum's former team visits the Mile High City.
The Broncos will remain in Denver for Week 2 as they host the Chicago Bears. Denver defeated Chicago 24-17 during Week 1 of the 2017 preseason.
The Broncos then travel to the East Coast for a Week 3 date with the Washington Redskins. This week's contest, which is traditionally a final dress rehearsal for the regular season, will pit the Broncos against Washington's new quarterback, Alex Smith. Denver battled Smith twice a year over the past five seasons during his time with the Chiefs.
Denver wraps up its preseason schedule with a Week 4 game in Arizona against the Cardinals. The Broncos have competed against Arizona in 12 of the last 14 preseason finales.
The Week 1 game will take place between Aug. 9-12; Week 2's game will occur between Aug. 16-19; Denver will play Washington between Aug. 23-26; and the Broncos will finish the preseason on Aug. 30.
The specific dates of the first three preseason games will be announced when the regular-season schedule is released in the coming weeks.