ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — A smattering of players on every team entered their contract year over the weekend when the NFL kicked off its 105th season.

Among the bigger names playing out the last year of their current contracts are Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett and wide receivers Keenan Allen of the Bears and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown of the Chiefs.

While impending free agents all have fans rooting for these players to have a monster season, a new twist has been added to Broncos outside linebacker Baron Browning 's quest for a standout season leading to a big pay raise in 2025.

The fourth-year edge rusher from Ohio State has fans who are literally invested in his success — not just emotionally, but now financially, too.

Browning headlined a new investment platform this spring that allowed fans to start buying and selling shares in the future on-the-field earnings of professional athletes. His very own stock will begin trading in a few weeks.

So, Browning is No. 5 in your program and his ticker on the stock market is BDBR.

Browning’s initial offering as Vestible's launch athlete recently closed after raising $656,730 with 65,673 shares sold at $10 each (minimum of 10 shares).

If investors hold onto the stock, they could make a profit if Browning's career earnings surpass his market valuation of $65 million. Or they could trade the stock on the secondary market that will be established following the requisite 30-day compliance period.

“It's definitely been enjoyable,” said Browning. “It’s a new way for fans and athletes to connect. Being the first one to do it has been cool, I appreciate them giving me the opportunity.”

Browning received 80% of the proceeds from his IPO, or $525,384.

In exchange, shareholders receive 1% of his on-field earnings for the rest of his NFL playing career. Investors will receive monthly dividend distributions or they can trade Browning's stock on Vestible's app once the secondary market opens at the end of September.

Browning is set to earn a $3.116 million salary in 2024, the final year of his four-year, $4.79 million deal he signed as a third-round draft pick out of Ohio State in 2021.

Browning made a successful switch from inside linebacker to edge rusher in 2022 but he also suffered a right knee injury that season that caused him to miss the first six games in 2023. Upon his return to action, Browning played a major role in Denver’s defensive-fueled turnaround last season.

As such, Browning fits Vestible’s profile as an up-and-comer with a massive upside potential, said cofounders Yves Batoba and Parker Graham.

Batoba and Graham were teammates on Oklahoma State’s football team more than a decade ago, and each had a brief stint in the NFL — Graham as an offensive tackle for the Ravens in 2014 and Batoba as the Dolphins assistant director of player development for several years.

After football, Graham went to work in investment management and founded the banking software company Finotta. This is his second start-up. After several years with the Dolphins, Batoba branched out into comprehensive athlete development.

They began brainstorming during the pandemic ways to unite the sports and investment worlds. Other platforms have attempted to do that but those ventures used tracking stocks with values tied to an athlete’s on-field performance. Vestible’s securities are solely based on market demand.

Vestible will add more athletes from the NFL and NBA to its ranks by year's end with that same sort of late bloomer vibe that Browning has, Graham said.

“He's kind of a diamond in the rough, if you will," Graham said. “And our models find players like that and allow folks to believe in them at the earliest stage, so that when hopefully Baron goes out and has a great season this year, everyone gets to succeed: him, his fans, his investors."

Kerry Carpenter's 4 hits lead surging Tigers past Rockies, 7-4

DETROIT (AP) — Kerry Carpenter matched a career high with four hits and the Detroit Tigers kept pace in the AL wild-card race with a 7-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who can swing it, and we’re swinging it well right now,” Carpenter said. “When we are at our best, we can do it all.”

Carpenter came up in the seventh inning needing a homer for the cycle — the first for a Tigers player since Carlos Guillen in 2006 — but hit an infield single.

“I was aware,” Carpenter said. “I was hoping to get a pitch I could do some damage on, but it didn't happen.”

Tigers starter Casey Mize allowed four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out seven without walking a batter.

Tyler Holton (6-1) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief, and Jason Foley earned his 22nd save with a scoreless ninth.

“I like bringing Tyler Holton into the game every time,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.

Holton has a 2.23 ERA, working in a role that's included everything from an opener to a closer.

Tanner Gordon (0-6) took the loss, allowing seven runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings. In his last two starts, the rookie has given up 12 runs on 18 hits in four innings.

“He got ahead of a lot of guys, but he couldn't put them away,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. "That's a rookie pitcher and a rookie catcher, so it is going to be the school of hard knocks at times, but it is an education.

“Tanner is learning a lot.”

Riley Greene and Trey Sweeney homered for Detroit (75-71), which improved to 20-8 since Aug. 11. The Tigers are three games behind Minnesota for the last American League wild card after both teams won on Wednesday.

“It's definitely exciting this time of year,” Holton said. “Last year was a different situation.”

The 2023 Tigers finished second in the AL Central — they are currently fourth — but their 78-84 record left them out of the wild-card race.

One night after beating the Rockies 11-0, the Tigers got off to another flying start with six runs in the first. Greene hit his 21st homer, Carpenter had an RBI triple and scored, and Sweeney hit a three-run homer.

Ryan McMahon led off the second with a home run to get the Rockies on the board, but Greene made it 7-1 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Colorado rallied with three runs in the fifth.

Jake Cave and Nolan Jones started the inning with singles, and after Mize retired the next two batters, Ezequiel Tovar hit a two-run double to right-center. Brenton Doyle followed with an RBI single, making it 7-4 and bringing Holton out of the Tigers bullpen.

“I started better than I finished, that's for sure,” Mize said. “The important thing is that we won.”

Doyle stole second, but Greene caught McMahon's foul fly to left before flipping it over the railing and into the crowd.

Holton, Will Vest and Foley finished the game with 4 1/3 shutout innings.

“Our bullpen put up four zeros and kept us in the game,” Black said. “We just couldn't solve their guys.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: RHP Reese Olson, on the injured list since July 21 with a shoulder injury, is expected to throw a bullpen Thursday at which point the team will determine the next steps. Shortstop Javier Báez, who underwent season-ending hip surgery last week, used a cane to walk to the outfield for a team picture before the game.

UP NEXT

The teams finish the three-game series Thursday afternoon with Tigers ace LHP Tarik Skubal (16-4, 2.53 ERA) facing RHP Ryan Feltner (2-10, 4.96).