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Former All-AFL WR Lionel Taylor Dies At 89

August 13th, 2025 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Lionel Taylor, one of the American Football League’s best players, died last week, according to his family. The Broncos, Taylor’s primary AFL team, announced his passing. He was 89. Taylor died at his home in Rio Rancho, N.M., according to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.

The Broncos acquired Taylor, a 1959 Bears UDFA, in their inaugural season — when the team was one of the eight original AFL franchises — and saw him lead the upstart league in receptions in that 1960 campaign. This was no small feat considering the presences of Hall of Famer Don Maynard and the Oilers’ high-octane duo of Bill Groman and Charley Hennigan. Taylor, however, enjoyed a decorated career despite the Broncos struggling during their AFL days.

Converted from Bears linebacker to Broncos wideout, Taylor led the AFL with 92 receptions in his Denver debut. He then ripped off one of the most consistent stretches in receiving history. Standing an imposing 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Taylor drew four first-team All-AFL nods from 1960-65 and led the league in receptions five times in that span.

Although the AFL was a pass-friendlier operation compared to the NFL in that period, Taylor totaling four 1,100-yard seasons was a feat certainly ahead of its time. By 1965, only one other receiver (AFLer Art Powell) had ever accumulated four 1,100-yard seasons. Taylor also produced the sport’s first 100-catch year (100 in 1961) and his 1,235-yard 1960 campaign — in 12 games — in Denver represented his highwater mark. Although Hennigan eclipsed Taylor’s AFL reception record (with 101) in 1964, no NFL receiver reached 100 until Art Monk‘s 106-catch 1984 season. Taylor’s 102.9 receiving yards per game in 1960 remains a Broncos single-season record.

A Kansas City, Mo., native, Taylor played collegiately at New Mexico Highlands. Despite the NFL draft consisting of 30 rounds in 1959, Taylor did not hear his name called. Playing 10 seasons, Taylor ended up in Oakland via a 1967 trade and wrapped his career with a two-season Houston stint (1967-68). He still sits fourth in Broncos history in receptions (543) and receiving yards (6,872) despite modern receivers enjoying much friendlier rulebooks for aerial success. Taylor never missed a game in seven Broncos seasons.

Taylor later earned Super Bowl rings as a coach, being the Steelers’ wide receivers coach under Chuck Noll. This period (1970-76) featured Taylor mentoring future Hall of Famers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, as he coached the Pittsburgh icons during their first three seasons. He then spent five seasons as a Rams assistant, coaching the Los Angeles receivers from 1977-79 (the last of those seasons ending in Super Bowl XIV) and rising to the L.A. OC post for a two-season stint (1980-81). Taylor was part of the Broncos’ first Ring of Fame class.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/25

August 12th, 2025 at 8:22pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: WR Kelly Akharaiyi
  • Placed on IR: WR Trishton Jackson
  • Awarded via waivers: OL Roy Mbaeteka

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: LB Alphonzo Tuputala

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Waived: K Ryan Coe
  • Waived/injured: QB Michael Pratt

Tennessee Titans

Mbaeteka was waived by the Browns on Monday and quickly found a new home in Arizona. The Nigeria native has an international player exemption, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire, allowing the Cardinals to carry 91 players on their preseason roster. The exemption also makes Mbaeteka eligible to be an extra 17th player on the team’s practice squad.

Herndon, 29, will add some defensive back depth to Buffalo’s secondary. Interestingly, the Bills listed Herndon as a safety when they announced his signing, though the seven-year veteran has primarily played both outside and slot cornerback throughout his career.

Price, a 49ers third-round pick in 2022, has only played 105 total snaps in his first three NFL seasons. In Green Bay, he’ll fight for a roster spot in the Packers’ backfield behind Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson, and MarShawn Lloyd.

Asamoah’s release by the Vikings was a bit of a surprise given that the 2022 third-rounder has appeared in 46 games over the last three seasons, primarily as a core special teams contributor. However, he had yet to develop into a reliable defender in Brian Flores‘ scheme and will look to compete for a role elsewhere.

Johnstone’s release signals that offseason signing Charley Hughlett will be the Eagles’ long snapper for the 2025 season.

NFL Minor Transactions: 8/11/25

August 11th, 2025 at 8:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

  • Signed: TE McCallan Castles
  • Waived/injured: TE Anthony Torres

Minnesota Vikings

  • Claimed off waivers (from Falcons): G Michael Gonzalez
  • Placed on IR: OT Matt Nelson

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: TE Kevin Foelsch, DB Mikey Victor
  • Waived: TE D.J. Thomas-Jones
  • Waived/injured: DB Cameron McCutcheon

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: LB Alphonzo Tuputala
  • Waived: CB Kam Alexander

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

A handful of players injured in the first week of the preseason were placed on IR today, effectively ending their seasons early. These players won’t be allowed to play for their current squads in 2025, although they could place elsewhere if they’re released from injured reserve (often via an injury settlement).

Among those who landed on IR includes Texans DT Marlon Davidson, who remained in his team’s preseason opener after suffering a biceps injury. Vikings lineman Matt Nelson also suffered a biceps injury that will land him on IR. The veteran just joined Minnesota last week.

In addition to bringing back old friend Jeff Wilson, the 49ers made a handful of additional moves today. This includes shifting veteran RB Ameer Abdullah to injured reserve. Abdullah suffered a rib injury that will prevent him from taking the field with San Francisco this season. The veteran is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2024, when he compiled 572 yards from scrimmage in 16 games (three starts) with the Raiders. The 49ers also added defensive lineman Trevis Gipson, who started 19 games for the Bears between 2021 and 2022.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/10/25

August 10th, 2025 at 9:09pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest minor moves from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • Placed on IR: CB Robert Longerbeam

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

New England Patriots

  • Signed: RB Deneric Prince, DE Jereme Robinson
  • Waived: S Josh Minkins
  • Placed on IR: RB Lan Larison

New Orleans Saints

  • Waived/injured: WR Chris Tyree

Larison suffered a foot injury during a promising preseason debut against the Commanders on Friday night. He will undergo surgery and spend the season rehabbing, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, with the hope of renewing his 53-man roster push next summer.

Broncos DE Matt Henningsen Suffers Torn Achilles

August 10th, 2025 at 1:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Matt Henningsen will not be available to the Broncos in 2025. The third-year Broncos defensive end suffered a torn Achilles, head coach Sean Payton said (via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette).

As a result of the injury, Henningsen will miss the coming campaign. The 2022 sixth-rounder managed to take part in every regular season game during his first two Denver seasons, but that will not be the case this time around. Henningsen’s attention will turn to a lengthy recovery process ahead of 2026, the final year of his rookie contract.

The 26-year-old maintained a steady workload across the 2023 and ’24 campaigns, handling a 20% snap share on defense. Henningsen has also chipped in on special teams, logging 375 snaps in that regard. The Wisconsin product has amassed 40 tackles and one sack to date, but those figures will not change until the 2026 season at the earliest.

Denver has Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper set to reprise their roles as starters along the edge. The interior of the team’s defensive line will also have continuity with Zach Allen, D.J. Jones and John Franklin-Myers returning from last season. That defensive front will be expected to remain among the league’s best as the Broncos attempt to improve off last year’s success.

Losing Henningsen will deal a blow to the team’s depth up front, though. Denver could look to add a depth piece at the defensive end spot as a replacement option, although with roughly $5.5MM in cap space the team is currently near the bottom of the league in available funds.

Broncos Rumors: Sutton, RBs, Henningsen

August 8th, 2025 at 1:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos resolved two contract matters recently, extending Courtland Sutton and Zach Allen. While the All-Pro defensive lineman landed a deal that ranks him third at his position in terms of per-year value, the steady wide receiver accepted a lesser pact.

Sutton’s four-year, $92MM extension places him 18th among wideouts in AAV. That $23MM number slides alongside Calvin Ridley‘s free agency deal and just behind Michael Pittman Jr.‘s 2024 terms. The contract includes $41MM in total guarantees. All but $1MM of the latter figure checks in guaranteed at signing. The additional $1MM covers an injury guarantee in 2027, 9News’ Mike Klis notes.

[RELATED: Sutton Left Money On Table During Extension Talks]

That $1MM will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2027 league year, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio adds. The Broncos used option bonuses to keep Sutton’s cap hits low. Both his 2025 and ’26 cap figures check in south of $14MM. In 2027, that number spikes to $28.48MM, per OverTheCap. The Broncos would be hit with $15.85MM in dead money if they released Sutton in 2027. In 2028, that number lowers to a more manageable $9.78MM. Still, the contract’s guarantees — for the most part — will pay out by the 2026 season.

No rolling guarantee structure is present, giving the Broncos flexibility with a receiver who will turn 30 in October. Sutton has been Denver’s top wideout over the past two seasons, meshing better in Sean Payton‘s system compared to Jerry Jeudy. With questions covering the rest of the Broncos’ WR corps, Sutton will again be positioned as Bo Nix‘s top target this season.

While Denver did not add a surefire starter to accompany Sutton at receiver this offseason, the team overhauled its backfield by using a second-round pick on R.J. Harvey and signing J.K. Dobbins to likely work as a short-term starter. This Mark Ingram–Alvin Kamara-like setup — that appears the goal here, at least — leaves incumbents vying for jobs. Former UDFA Jaleel McLaughlin has appeared the favorite to land the RB3 role as a change-of-pace option, but he may not be a roster lock just yet.

The Broncos used Tyler Badie in key portions of their joint practice with the 49ers, per Klis, who points to the Missouri alum being ahead of 2024 fifth-round pick Audric Estime. Although Badie played in front of McLaughlin in the joint workout, the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel lists the third-year player as the most consistent option for the RB3 role leading up to the Broncos’ preseason opener.

McLaughlin has been steady as a change-of-pace option, as the NCAA all-divisions rushing leader has 570- and 572-yard seasons (from scrimmage) during his first two years. A 2022 sixth-round Ravens draftee, Badie has only taken 12 career handoffs. A back injury shelved Badie for much of last season, but the Broncos both saved an IR activation for him and deemed Estime a healthy scratch in their wild-card game. Estime fumbled twice last season but was the team’s third-leading RB rusher (Nix was third on the team) with 310 yards. Three years remain on his rookie deal, but the Broncos would barely take on $250K by cutting the big back.

Shifting to defense, a key backup on Denver’s D-line from 2022-23 — Matt Henningsen — may lose a full season due to injury. The Broncos fear Henningsen suffered an Achilles tear during their joint practice with the 49ers, Klis reports. The injury occurred during a one-on-one drill.

Although the former sixth-round pick has never started a game, he was a key backup from 2022-23 — before spending last year mostly on the practice squad. The Broncos have a fairly clear top five up front — Allen, D.J. Jones, John Franklin-Myers, Malcolm Roach, third-round rookie Sai’Vion Jones — and Gabriel pegs Jordan Jackson and Eyioma Uwazurike as vying for a roster spot. Uwazurike is best known for his involvement in an Iowa State gambling investigation, leading to a full-season 2023 ban, while Jackson is a former Saints sixth-rounder who played 17 Broncos games last year.

Broncos LB Drew Sanders To Miss Start Of Season

August 4th, 2025 at 3:40pm CST by Ely Allen

AUGUST 4: Sanders recently underwent surgery to address the injury, 9News’ Mike Klis reports. Payton specified the issue was actually a ligament in Sanders’ foot, rather than a tendon. That is a somewhat encouraging correction given the different recovery timeline which should be in store as a result. Nevertheless, Payton noted the healing process will be “north of four to six weeks,” so missed time in the fall remains the expectation in this case.

JULY 27: The Broncos were given a bit of a scare when third-year linebacker Drew Sanders was carted off the field at practice yesterday with an apparent lower body injury, per Luca Evans of The Denver Post. After Sanders missed most of his 2024 campaign with an April torn Achilles tendon, there was significant concern for another injury, though head coach Sean Payton relayed that the issue was not his Achilles this time, according to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.

In an update today, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the results of an MRI determined that Sanders suffered an injury to a tendon in his foot “that will keep him out (for) an extended period of time.” An exact recovery timeline was not ready, as further testing is still required to determine if he’ll need surgery, but Sanders is not expected to return in time for the season opener, so he’ll be getting a late start to the season for the second year in a row.

A third-round pick in 2023, Sanders split his time as a rookie as both a reserve behind linebackers Alex Singleton and Josey Jewell in the box and a reserve behind Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, and Baron Browning on the edge, following an injury to Randy Gregory. With the loss of Jewell in free agency, Sanders was expected to step in next to Singleton, but his fateful torn Achilles changed the team’s plans.

When Singleton suffered a tear of his own (ACL) only three games into the season, the Broncos relied on Cody Barton and Justin Strnad, who admirably filled in the linebacking roles for a defense that finished the season third in points allowed and seventh in yards allowed. Barton priced himself out of Denver, earning a three-year, $21MM deal with the Titans, while Strnad was re-signed on a one-year, $2.7MM contract.

Already returning Sanders, who played in five contests off his return from the Achilles injury last year, the Broncos made an interesting move in signing former 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who played in two games last season coming back from an Achilles tear of his own. Greenlaw actually experienced a quadriceps injury in early offseason practices with his new team, but it was minor enough for Denver not to address the position through the draft or further free agency.

Singleton and Greenlaw have both overcome their injuries and have been participants in training camp so far. If the two can stay healthy, they should be leading the linebacking corps when the season opens. It’s unfortunate that Sanders suffered his setback, as he would’ve been in line as the first man off the bench for the position and an excellent option to fill in should either of his teammates experience setbacks of their own. Despite his snap shares on the edge as a rookie, Payton made it known back in February that Sanders would be focusing on his role as an inside linebacker moving forward.

With Sanders’ return date unknown, Strnad now takes on that responsibility behind Singleton and Greenlaw, once again prepared to step into a starting role, if necessary. Behind Strnad, though, a group of undrafted linebackers is composed of Levelle Bailey, who played five defensive snaps as a rookie last year, and rookies Karene Reid, JB Brown, and Johnny Walker Jr.

Broncos WR Courtland Sutton Took Less Money To Help Denver Retain Other Players

August 3rd, 2025 at 12:09pm CST by Rory Parks

Last week, Broncos WR Courtland Sutton finally secured a long-awaited third contract with the team. Although the extension represents a sizable raise over what Sutton was due to earn and locks in a new wave of guaranteed cash, the $23MM average annual value of the deal makes him the league’s 18th-highest-paid wideout in terms of yearly compensation.

Per Sean Keeler of the Denver Post, Sutton understands he may have left some money on the table – Spotrac considers his market value to be roughly $26.5MM per year – in exchange for additional security. He also knows the team has a number of other mouths to feed, and he wanted to help ensure the Broncos could lock in other key players.

“[There’s] talent in that locker room, guys that are coming up, that are trying to get their second contract,” Sutton said. “I was blessed to be able to get my third. They put the work in just the same way as I have. And some of those guys have more accolades than I have when it comes to the NFL side of things … and to be able to sign the deal that we did, it gives us a chance to keep those guys around.”

A June report suggested defensive standouts Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen may have jumped Sutton as extension priorities for Denver, and other key members of what is expected to again be a stout defense in 2025 – John Franklin-Myers, P.J. Locke, Malcolm Roach, and Alex Singleton among them – are also on expiring deals. 

When asked if he was conscious of that reality when signing his own extension, Sutton replied, “1,000%. 1,000%. The deal that we wound up signing is a great deal, and it was very beneficial to myself. And it gives us a chance to be able to keep a lot of really good players around on this team and for years to come.”

Not long after the ink dried on Sutton’s deal, the Broncos agreed to terms with Allen on a monster four-year, $102MM pact. It would not surprise if Bonitto also landed a healthy new contract in short order.

Sutton, a team captain, has done his part to facilitate Denver’s ability to keep the band together. The club is also benefitting from having its starting quarterback, Bo Nix, on his rookie deal, and Sutton will again lead Nix’s collection of offensive weaponry.

Now 29 (30 in October), Sutton cracked the 1,000-yard mark for the second time in his career during Nix’s rookie campaign in 2024. Continued development from the second-year passer, coupled with the addition of tight end Evan Engram and reinforcements in the running game, could allow the Broncos – who cracked the playoff field last season – to take another step forward in 2025. 

Broncos Extend DL Zach Allen

August 2nd, 2025 at 10:31pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

10:31pm: Per OvertheCap.com, $44.25MM of Allen’s new extension is fully guaranteed at signing, including a $24MM signing bonus, his base salaries in 2025 ($2.49MM) and 2026 ($16.49MM), and per game roster bonuses in those seasons that will total $510K and $765K, respectively. $15.75MM will become fully guaranteed in March 2026, and the rest will guarantee in March of the following year.

9:31am: The Broncos have agreed to terms with defensive lineman Zach Allen on a four-year, $102MM extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team has since announced the extension.

It was reported back in March that Allen was seeking an extension in the range of $25MM per year. His new contract meets that goal at a $25.5MM APY that ranks third among the NFL’s interior defensive lineman, per OverTheCap.

Allen’s deal also includes $69.5MM in guaranteed money, per Schefter, which would also rank third at the position in terms of total guarantees. If that number represents fully guaranteed money, it would set a new record for interior defensive linemen.

The 27-year-old may not be a household name, but his payday is appropriate after an excellent 2024 season. Allen recorded 8.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss as a key anchor for a Broncos defense that finished third in points allowed and seventh in yards allowed. He also recorded 75 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), a mark that led all interior defensive lineman and trailed only four edge rushers.

Allen earned a second-team All-Pro selection for his efforts last season, the first such recognition of his career. That gave him the leverage to seek an extension as he entered the final year of the three-year, $45.75MM deal that brought him to Denver in 2023 in the first place. Allen’s new deal represents a raise of more than $10MM per year and will keep him under contract through the 2028 season.

The former Cardinals third-round pick effectively replaced Dre’Mont Jones in Denver, as the two relocated (Jones to Seattle) on Day 1 of the 2023 legal tampering period. Allen has been a lifer in DC Vance Joseph‘s scheme, arriving in Arizona during Joseph’s first offseason running the Cards’ defense. Weeks after Joseph returned to Denver, Allen followed. After a woeful start to the 2023 season, the Broncos’ defense took big steps forward in 2024.

Helping the Broncos to a third-place finish in scoring defense, Allen’s 40 QB hits led the NFL and represented a top-10 mark for any season in the 2020s. That surge solidified a midcareer breakout, placing Allen in prime position to capitalize. The Broncos will go through with another reward, locking up two extension candidates this week.

The Broncos, who got veteran wideout Courtland Sutton‘s extension done on Monday, will likely now turn their attention to negotiations with fourth-year edge rusher Nik Bonitto. Allen’s primary partner in the trenches, John Franklin-Myers, has also been pursuing a new contract after a career-high 7.0 sacks last year, but the Broncos have not engaged in contract talks to date. After signing one defensive lineman to a nine-figure deal, Denver seems unlikely to give Franklin-Myers a market-level extension.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/25

August 2nd, 2025 at 8:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

  • Activated from active/PUP list: TE Mark Redman

New York Jets

  • Claimed off waivers (from Broncos): CB Mario Goodrich
  • Waived (with injury designation): S Jaylin Simpson

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Danny Gray

Pittsburgh Steelers 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders 

Watkins and Campbell are among the notable veterans who are out for the season unless they wind up being released via an injury settlement and later signing with another team. Watkins left Arizona’s practice early on Thursday, and subsequent evaluation has clearly confirmed a notable injury occurred.

Campbell is dealing with a knee ailment, ESPN’s Todd Archer notes. Injuries have been a near-constant issue for the 28-year-old, who has played a full season only once so far in his career. The Cowboys marked Campbell’s third consecutive NFC East team, but instead of competing for a roster spot he will once again turn his attention to recovery.

Wallace has 96 games and 72 starts to his name, although his 35% defensive snap share with the Broncos last season was by far the lowest of his career. The 30-year-old will head to Jacksonville in time for the preseason. A strong showing through the remainder of training camp could allow him to occupy a backup role in the Jags’ secondary this season.

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