HEADLINES

Denver Broncos News & Rumors

Broncos Expect CB Patrick Surtain, LB Alex Singleton Back After Bye

November 30th, 2025 at 12:04pm CST by Ely Allen

NOVEMBER 30: Singleton is off the injury report and is expected to play against the Commanders in Week 13, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

NOVEMBER 25: During an interview with Good Morning America, Singleton confirmed he hopes to return in Week 13 against the Commanders. He has been cleared to practice, so the next few days will be key in determining his status.

NOVEMBER 22: The Broncos were able to pull off a crucial win for the division race last week despite being without star cornerback Patrick Surtain II and starting linebacker Alex Singleton. As they look to build onto an eight-game win streak, the team is optimistic that the defense won’t continue to be short-handed following this week’s bye, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Surtain hasn’t played since October, when he sustained a pectoral injury against the Cowboys. In the immediate aftermath, the Broncos called the two-time first-team All Pro “week-to-week.” They were aware that recovery could take over a week but weren’t willing yet to place him on injured reserve and guarantee a four-game absence.

When Surtain exited with injury four weeks ago, Denver turned to Kris Abrams-Draine, a fifth-round pick last year out of Mizzou, to finish the game in his place, keeping first-round rookie Jahdae Barron in his rotational role in the slot. Up to that point in the season, Abrams-Draine had only played two snaps on defense.

The Broncos did give Barron a chance to start across from Riley Moss the next week against the Texans, but some early struggles led to Abrams-Draine taking the first-team role back partway through the game. Abrams-Draine started each of the next two games, and even though Surtain’s expected return should reduce his role moving forward, he’ll likely get more defensive opportunities after playing the first half of the season mainly as a special teamer.

Last week was only Singleton’s first missed game of the year, but the nature of the absence left plenty of room for concern for his future availability. Singleton underwent surgery earlier this month to have a cancerous tumor removed from one of his testicles, but Fowler reports that, in his recovery, Singleton “has received encouraging results post-surgery.” Singleton is considered slightly less likely than Surtain to play in Week 13, but both players are reportedly trending very much in the right direction.

Vance Joseph’s Head Coaching Stock Rising; Broncos DC Discusses Future

November 30th, 2025 at 10:08am CST by Rory Parks

Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who also served as the team’s head coach from 2017-18, interviewed for the Raiders’ and Jets’ HC posts in this year’s carousel. While he did not appear to be a serious contender for either job, an October report suggested he would be back on the head coaching radar in a more meaningful way in 2026, and Mike Klis of 9News confirms as much.

According to Kils, Joseph is the candidate who has been mentioned most frequently with respect to one of the HC vacancies in the upcoming cycle. After working as the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator from 2019-22, the 53-year-old joined Sean Payton’s first staff in Denver in 2023. Although his ‘23 unit finished near the bottom of the league in terms of both total defense and points per game, his 2024-25 defenses have been among the NFL’s best.

As Klis notes, Joseph is particularly well-regarded for his ability to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks, which is perhaps the most important attribute of a defense in the modern game. The Broncos have amassed a league-leading 112 sacks in the past one-and-a-half seasons, which is one of the reasons why Joseph is expected to generate so much HC interest (he has already been connected to the Titans’ vacancy).

When asked earlier this week about the attention his work has earned, Joseph predictably downplayed his HC aspirations while acknowledging that working under Payton has provided him with valuable insight as to how to “fix” a team (which is similar to what Commanders offensive coordinator and former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, Joseph’s ex-boss, recently said about working under Dan Quinn).

“It’s flattering, but my second time through the process, or my third or fourth time through the process, I don’t think about it,” Joseph said. “I really don’t because I know it’s about winning. Everyone wants to hire winners. They want to hire someone who’s fixed something. And there’s no better example than what we’ve done here the last three years. Being with Sean Payton helped my learning with how to fix a team.”

Joseph posted a disappointing 11-21 record in his two seasons as the Broncos’ bench boss, but Denver’s quarterback situation during that time left much to be desired. Additionally, Joseph’s team was 6-6 in 2018 before injuries to Pro Bowlers Chris Harris and Emmanuel Sanders helped key a four-game skid to close that season.

As of the time of this writing, the 9-2 Broncos are just a half-game behind the Patriots for the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Naturally, Joseph indicated his attention is focused on his team’s postseason push, and he said he will be happy to return to Denver if he does not land an HC job in 2026.

“The key is to win. And not worry about the process,” he said. “It’s the Broncos’ season right now and that’s my focus, honestly. If it happens, I’ll be happy. And if it doesn’t, I’m still going to have a good job. I have good players. I’m in a great city. I have no worries, honestly.”

His accomplishments aside, there could be another reason for the buzz around Joseph. As our Sam Robinson recently wrote in a subscribers-only piece, the would-be 2026 crop of offensive-minded HC talent (like Kingsbury) has not generated much momentum in 2025, which could make teams more inclined to consider defensive-oriented candidates.

Broncos CB Patrick Surtain Set To Return After Pectoral Tear

November 28th, 2025 at 9:27pm CST by Ely Allen

On Tuesday, we saw Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton confirm that he intended to fulfill expectations of a Week 13 return from injury, and today we saw the same from cornerback Patrick Surtain. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Surtain will go into Sunday night’s contest without an injury designation and should play for the first time this month.

We had known for weeks that the injury Surtain sustained against Dallas back in October was a pectoral injury. Other than that, all we were told was that he was week-to-week and that he may not need a full injured reserve stint before coming back. Well, according to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette, Surtain informed the media today that he suffered a partial pectoral tear.

The team gambled correctly, too, considering this ended up being a four-week injury. An IR placement requires four games, and with the Broncos just coming off their bye week, Surtain would’ve had to sit out an additional game, had they put him on IR. Though Surtain reportedly feels confident that he’ll be able to play his best this weekend, Mike Klis of 9NEWS tells us that the 25-year-old will wear a harness in this weekend’s game.

When Surtain exited the team’s victory over Dallas with injury, Denver turned to cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, a fifth-round pick last year out of Mizzou, to finish the game in his place. This decision kept first-round rookie Jahdae Barron in his rotational role in the slot, as opposed to asking the first-year defender to change roles in the middle of a game. Up to that point in the season, though, Abrams-Draine had only played two snaps on defense.

The Broncos did give Barron a chance to start across from Riley Moss the next week against the Texans, but after the rookie struggled a bit in what was only his second career start, Abrams-Draine was asked to take the first-team role back partway through the game, and he started each of the next two weeks, as well. With Surtain set to return this weekend, Abrams-Draine’s likely will no longer be a starter, but after shoring up the position to keep Denver’s eight-game win streak alive, he’ll likely get more defensive opportunities after playing most of the first half of the season as a special teamer.

This serves the Denver secondary well as they emerge from Surtain’s absence a deeper group. On Sunday night, they’ll face off against a Commanders receiving corps that returns Terry McLaurin next to Deebo Samuel after McLaurin endured a four-week absence of his own.

Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins Aiming For Super Bowl Return

November 26th, 2025 at 5:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 26: Sean Payton also did not dismiss a Dobbins return from a Lisfranc injury. Not generally forthcoming on injuries, the veteran HC said (via the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel) a return “has a chance” to take place. The Broncos have five injury activations remaining, not using them on Patrick Surtain or Alex Singleton — who are both on track to return in Week 13 — and would receive two more if/once they make the playoffs.

Dobbins has told some in the building he wants to be back by the time Denver’s playoff docket starts, per Gabriel. Based on previous reporting, that sounds quite optimistic. But the prospect of the injury-prone running back not being shut down does provide some intrigue for the Broncos’ backfield, which is attempting to replace one of this season’s most productive runners.

NOVEMBER 23: J.K. Dobbins‘ latest injury has him unavailable for the foreseeable future. The veteran running back has his eyes set on a Broncos return if their season goes the distance, however.

A Lisfranc injury suffered earlier this month will leave Dobbins sidelined through at least the remainder of the regular season. Surgery has already taken place, and a lengthy recovery process is underway as a result. If all were to go well on that front, Dobbins could find himself available at the tail end of the playoffs.

Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post reports there is a “hope” Dobbins will be able to return in the event the Broncos reach the Super Bowl. That would amount to a recovery timeline of roughly three months, something which would fall well short of how long severe Lisfranc injuries require to heal. Even a less severe version of the injury will require a notable period out of game action.

“If it’s a more subtle injury, it’s potentially something you can rehab more quickly and get back on your feet quicker,” Dr. Nicholas Strasser told Gabriel (while adding he is not involved in Dobbins’ particular case). “It’s not totally unrealistic for February, thinking through the timeline. A lot of things would have to go his way and probably have to have a lot of luck as well.”

Indeed, a Super Bowl appearance representing the best-case scenario in this situation illustrates how unlikely it is to take place. The Broncos are on their bye week, but with a 9-2 record the AFC West leaders are certainly in the mix with respect to contenders for a championship in 2025. The team’s running game will be determined in large part by the play of second-round rookie RJ Harvey, who has recorded 469 yards from scrimmage and scored six total touchdowns this season.

Injuries have been a consistent issue throughout Dobbins’ career. The 26-year-old had been enjoying a strong debut campaign with the Broncos (5.0 yards per carry, four touchdowns) before going down. Dobbins is a pending free agent, and another short-term contract is no doubt in store given the time he will miss down the stretch. At the moment, at least, the door is nevertheless open to him making a final contribution to the Broncos should they parlay their performances to date into a championship run.

Broncos Not Eyeing Extension For DL John Franklin-Myers

November 26th, 2025 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Like last year, the Broncos have completed a few extensions for starters in-season. Over the past two days, Denver has paid center Luke Wattenberg and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach. This came shortly after Wil Lutz‘s payday.

This continues a mission to retain core players, as the team re-upped Courtland Sutton, Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto during the summer. While the Broncos’ 2026 free agency figures to bring less noise as a result, the team still has a notable contract-year player. John Franklin-Myers is still unsigned for 2026, and it does not appear that will change this season.

[RELATED: Patrick Surtain, Alex Singleton Expected Back Soon]

Franklin-Myers said in September he was not expecting a Broncos extension, and the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson offers more on that front. The team has not expressed interest in extending Franklin-Myers, who has been a two-year starter since being acquired from the Jets via trade.

The team used its bye week, along with the stretch before returning to post-bye practices this week, to extend Lutz, Wattenberg and Roach. Lutz’s deal covers three years and is worth $16.1MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Lutz received a $5.2MM signing bonus and is due $9MM guaranteed. Kicking on Sean Payton-coached teams for all but one of his 10 NFL seasons, Lutz is positioned to continue in that capacity for the foreseeable future. Wattenberg, a fourth-year center, agreed to a four-year, $48MM deal; a D-tackle who followed Payton from New Orleans, Roach accepted a three-year, $24MM Broncos deal.

This next batch of games, however, could be Franklin-Myers’ last as a Bronco. The former Rams and Jets contributor expects to hit free agency and said (via Tomasson) some disappointment exists about not being offered an extension. While Franklin-Myers said he still has interest in re-signing, the Broncos’ slew of commitments — along with the D-lineman’s value — points him out of Colorado come March.

Although Allen and Bonitto spearhead a Broncos pass rush that has also seen consistent play from edge rusher Jonathon Cooper — as the team’s 49 sacks lead the NFL by a wide margin — Franklin-Myers has played well as a role player. Used as a D-end starter in the Broncos’ 3-4 scheme, Franklin-Myers has been effective rushing from D-tackle and D-end posts in his career. The Jets deployed him more as an outside rusher, while the Broncos have aligned him inside more often during his two-year tenure. The 29-year-old pass rusher has 4.5 sacks and eight QB hits this season. He finished with seven and 18, respectively, in his Denver debut last year.

Next year marks what could be Franklin-Myers’ last chance to fetch a notable contract. He signed a four-year, $55MM Jets deal — one the team shed following the Haason Reddick trade — and reworked it upon being moved, receiving a two-year, $15MM pact from the Broncos. That has proven to be a good value play for Denver, but the solid production received points Franklin-Myers toward a 2026 raise.

While the Broncos did re-sign nose tackle D.J. Jones just before free agency this year, they now have five front-seven pieces (Jones, Allen, Bonitto, Cooper, Roach) signed to extensions. That will make keeping Franklin-Myers quite difficult, as an eight-figure-per-year deal likely awaits.

Elsewhere on the Broncos’ depth chart, the team is still searching for running back help following J.K. Dobbins‘ Lisfranc injury. After placing Dobbins on IR, the Broncos made what 9News’ Mike Klis labels a strong pursuit for Dameon Pierce. The former Texans backup joined the Chiefs’ practice squad. Denver has RJ Harvey positioned as a starter now, with Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie in place as backups.

Broncos, Malcolm Roach Agree To Extension

November 26th, 2025 at 11:46am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Broncos are signing defensive tackle Malcolm Roach to a three-year contract extension, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

The deal has a base value of $24MM, including $14M in guaranteed money, with another $5.25MM available via incentives, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. Roach’s $8MM APY represents a substantial raise for the sixth-year defensive lineman, who arrived in Denver after signing a two-year, $7MM contract in 2024. He is now tied to the team through 2028.

Roach, 27, began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Saints in 2020. He made the 53-man roster and served as a member of the D-line rotation for the next four seasons. However, he only appeared in 41 games due to a handful of injuries, three of which forced him on injured reserve.

Roach produced seven tackles for loss and only one sack in New Orleans, but immediately stepped up his play as a member of the Broncos’ top-ranked defense in 2023. His 43 tackles, 2.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits were all career-highs. He also played a full season for the first time in his career.

Roach started the 2025 season on injured reserve due to a grade 2 calf strain. He missed the first five games of the year before his designation to return and activation from IR shortly after. In his six games since, he has recorded 21 tackles and two sacks, putting him on pace to best his 2024 numbers in those categories.

The Broncos waited a month after Roach’s return to the field to engage him in extension talks after ensuring he was back at his usual level of play. His average annual value appropriately puts him in the company of DaQuan Jones, Harrison Phillips, and A’Shawn Robinson. It is also similar to the $7.5MM APY deal signed by Roach’s teammate, John Franklin-Myers, last offseason.

With $14MM guaranteed in his new deal, Roach will almost double his current career earnings of $7.35MM, per OverTheCap. The Broncos, meanwhile, will have a core part of their defensive line rotation under contract for another three years at an affordable price. Denver is already paying Zach Sieler and D.J. Jones a combined $38.5MM, and they seem unlikely to re-sign Franklin-Myers. The Roach contract ensures they will have three veteran starters through the 2027 season.

Bills Sign WR Brandin Cooks

November 25th, 2025 at 10:28pm CST by Connor Byrne

One day after becoming a free agent, Brandin Cooks has quickly found a new home. The Bills announced that they’ve signed the veteran wide receiver to their active roster.

The Saints and Cooks mutually agreed to part ways last Wednesday, but there was a slight holdup over “contractual technicalities.” After the Saints amended Cooks’ contract, he passed through waivers unclaimed and became free to sign anywhere on Monday.

A first-round pick of the Saints in 2014, Cooks is now heading to his sixth NFL destination. The 32-year-old has been part of a record-tying four trades during his career, but the Saints didn’t find a taker for him before the Nov. 4 deadline. Cooks has endured a down year with just 19 catches and 165 yards (8.7 YPC) over 10 scoreless games, which explains why teams weren’t eager to trade draft compensation for him.

While Cooks didn’t produce much in New Orleans with quarterbacks Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler this season, he may have a better chance in Buffalo with reigning MVP Josh Allen at the helm. Cooks is easily the most accomplished receiver on the Bills’ roster, having amassed 729 catches, 9,697 receiving yards, and 60 touchdowns in 168 regular-season games.

The receiver position has been a sore spot throughout the year for the Bills, who tried to address the issue at the deadline. They reportedly made a significant offer to the AFC East rival Dolphins for Jaylen Waddle, but they failed to reel in him or anyone else. With receiver remaining a problem area, the Bills have dropped two of three since the deadline to fall to 7-4. They’re unlikely to chase down the 10-2 Patriots for a sixth straight division title, and a wild-card berth doesn’t look like a guarantee in a conference loaded with playoff contenders.

The Bills’ need at receiver became even more glaring over the past couple of weeks with head coach Sean McDermott making second-year man Keon Coleman a healthy inactive twice in a row. Coleman sat out a 44-32 win over the Buccaneers in Week 11 after he was consistently late to meetings. He also didn’t play in the Bills’ 23-19 loss to the Texans last Thursday. It’s unclear if he’ll return to the lineup this Sunday in a crucial meeting with the Steelers. Regardless, it’s fair to say Coleman has not panned out as hoped since going 33rd overall in the 2024 draft.

Coleman has joined the majority of the Bills’ receiving corps in underwhelming this season. Slot target Khalil Shakir has put together another productive campaign, but Josh Palmer, Elijah Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Tyrell Shavers have all caught fewer than 20 passes apiece.

While Gabe Davis played in the Bills’ past two games and picked up four receptions for 62 yards, he’s not on their active roster. The Bills can only elevate him from their practice squad one more time before they have to sign him. Mecole Hardman, also on the practice squad, played in one game before going on IR with a calf injury last week.

It’s unknown how many other teams joined Buffalo in vying for Cooks, but Denver was not among them. The AFC West leaders had a connection to Cooks in head coach Sean Payton, who was in charge in New Orleans when the wideout entered the league. Despite that, the Broncos weren’t in the mix for Cooks, according to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.

Broncos Sign C Luke Wattenberg To Extension

November 25th, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Less than a week after inking kicker Wil Lutz to an extension, the Broncos are committing to another player for the long haul. According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, the Broncos have agreed to a four-year extension with center Luke Wattenberg.

[RELATED: Broncos Had “Preliminary” Extension Talks With C Luke Wattenberg]

The pact is worth $48MM, including $27MM in guaranteed money, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. We heard yesterday that the team had “preliminary” talks with Wattenberg about a long-term deal, and the two sides must have made some significant progress during the team’s bye week.

Wattenberg’s contract vaults him towards the top of his position in both value and guarantees. The fourth-year player now ranks fifth at his position in both contract value and AAV, while the $27MM in guaranteed money only trails the whopping $35MM Creed Humphrey got from the Chiefs.

A 2022 fifth-round pick, Wattenberg only got into 128 offensive snaps through his first two seasons in the NFL. Since then, he’s started all 24 of his appearances for the Broncos, with an ankle injury keeping him sidelined for four games last season. Pro Football Focus currently ranks him 20th among 38 qualifying centers, although he finished 18th on the site in 2024.

Clearly, the Broncos believe in his upside, and the organization is intent on providing Bo Nix with some offensive continuity. The front office committed to both Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz in 2024, and with Mike McGlinchey and Ben Powers also attached to sizable pacts, Denver has seemingly locked in their offensive line for at least the next few years.

With Lutz and Watternberg having signed extensions over the past week, we’ll now see if the Broncos can pull off a deal with Malcolm Roach. We heard yesterday that the front office had initial extension talks with the defensive lineman, although the veteran surely wouldn’t command the same payday as his teammates.

Broncos Had “Preliminary” Extension Talks With C Luke Wattenberg, DL Malcolm Roach

November 24th, 2025 at 9:29pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos inked kicker Wil Lutz to an extension on Friday, but he wasn’t the only player the front office approached about a new contract. According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, the Broncos had “preliminary talks” with center Luke Wattenberg and defensive lineman Malcolm Roach. Both players are impending free agents.

[RELATED: Broncos, K Wil Lutz Agree To Extension]

Wattenberg, a fifth-round pick by the Broncos back in 2022, has emerged as a key starter for the Broncos in recent years. The Washington product has started all 24 of his appearances for Denver over the past two seasons, with a midseason ankle injury shelving him for four games in 2024.

After Pro Football Focus graded him 18th among 40 qualifying centers in 2024, Wattenberg is currently listed 20th among 38 qualifiers in 2025. That performance would still make him a relatively popular name on the free agent circuit, so it makes some sense that the Broncos are working to retain him now.

Roach reunited with former Saints coach Sean Payton in Denver last season via a two-year deal. He’s gotten into about half of his team’s defensive snaps over the past two years, collecting 4.5 sacks and 11 QB hits. A calf strain delayed the start of his 2025 season to mid-October. The veteran likely wouldn’t break the bank to keep around Denver, and the Broncos clearly value the player as a rotational piece on the defensive line.

Lutz inked a three-year extension with the Broncos late last week. While terms of the deal haven’t been reported, Klis writes that the contract elevates the kicker into the top-10 highest-paid players at his position. That would Lutz’s earnings around at least $4.7MM, which is a significant jump from the $4.5MM he’s earning this season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/24/25

November 24th, 2025 at 6:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: OT Marques Cox

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Released: WR Jimmy Holiday

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Load More Posts