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Damarri Mathis

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/25

September 6th, 2025 at 7:28pm CST by Ely Allen

With our first slate of Sunday games tomorrow, we’ll see our first slew of standard gameday practice squad elevations. Here are today’s minor transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Each NFL team is granted up to two standard gameday practice squad elevations each game, allowing them to call up two members of their practice squad who are able to play in that weekend’s game. After the game is played, the elevated players revert back to the practice squad with no transaction required. This differs from the situation with somebody like Crumedy in Carolina. With Mathis’ placement on injured reserve opening a spot on the 53-man roster, Crumedy has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster, where he will remain until he is cut or his contract expires.

Practice squad players can be called up a maximum of three times under a single practice squad contract. If a team wants to call up a player who’s been called up three times already, the team will usually sign the player to their active roster for a game, cut them after, and then sign them to a new practice squad contract. Under the new contract, the player would be eligible to be elevated for three more games.

As the Dolphins await Jason Sanders‘ return from IR, Patterson was named the winner of a kicking audition with three other veteran kickers. Miami will be able to elevate him three times but will have to promote him to the active roster for any games between that and Sanders’ activation. Similarly, Prater will likely be on the same plan in Buffalo.

Haener’s stint on the Saints’ active roster was short-lived as the team decides to move forward with only two quarterbacks. Spencer Rattler will handle starting duties to begin the campaign with second-round rookie Tyler Shough serving as his backup.

Panthers’ Damarri Mathis Suffers ACL Tear

September 5th, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Damarri Mathis will not be available to the Panthers in 2025. The fourth-year cornerback has suffered an ACL tear, head coach Dave Canales said on Friday (via ESPN’s David Newton).

Mathis spent his first three seasons with the Broncos, and he was in Denver through the summer. The former fourth-rounder was among the team’s roster cuts last week, and he hit the waiver wire as a result. The Panthers added Mathis via a claim.

Instead of having him available for the final season of his rookie deal, however, Carolina will be shorthanded at the cornerback spot. The 26-year-old made 43 appearances and 13 starts over the course of his Broncos tenure. Adding to those totals would have helped Mathis’ market value ahead of his first trip to free agency next spring. Now, his attention will turn to surgery and a lengthy rehab process.

The injury will deal a blow to Mathis’ earning potential on the open market. The Missouri product emerged as a trade candidate last season, but Denver elected to keep him in the fold through the remainder of the campaign. Mathis was not a regular contributor on defense, but he chipped in on special teams with a snap share of 44% in that regard. At least a part-time role in both capacities could have been in store with the Panthers.

Instead, Carolina will move forward with a cornerback group led once again by Jaycee Horn after his massive extension was worked out in the offseason. Michael Jackson, Akayleb Evans, Chau Smith-Wade and Corey Thornton round out the team’s depth chart at the position. Mathis will head to injured reserve, and it will be interesting to see if the Panthers pursue an addition in his absence.

Carolina entered Friday with roughly $14MM in cap space. As a result, a low-cost addition could be feasible. Kendall Fuller and Mike Hilton are among the most experienced options still on the market, while Stephon Gilmore is still unsigned. Gilmore – whose most recent Pro Bowl season (2021) came with the Panthers – said in July he would be open to continuing his career in 2025, but only under the right circumstances. It remains to be seen if a Carolina reunion would qualify, but in any case the team could stand to add depth in the secondary.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC South

August 27th, 2025 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints moves are noted below.

Atlanta Falcons

Signed to practice squad:

Carolina Panthers

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

New Orleans Saints

Claimed:

  • WR Trey Palmer (from Buccaneers), G Xavier Truss (from Broncos)

Signed to practice squad:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed to practice squad:

Broncos Place FB Michael Burton On IR, Cut 27 Players

August 26th, 2025 at 8:22pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos continued their (mostly) ongoing streak of UDFA rookies making the active roster. Linebacker Karene Reid has made the 53-man roster, marking the 21st time in the past 22 years that a college free agent has made the Broncos as a first-year player.

The rest of the team’s moves:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

  • DT Kristian Williams

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on IR:

Fullback Michael Burton won’t play for the Broncos this season, as Sean Payton revealed that the veteran suffered a hamstring injury that required surgery (per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette). The 33-year-old appeared in every game for Denver over the past two seasons, garnering reps in about 17 percent of his team’s offensive snaps and 63 percent of his team’s special teams snaps. Over that span, Burton collected 90 yards from scrimmage on 27 touches, and he’s added another 10 special teams stops.

A number of these players could land back on the practice squad. Assuming they pass through waivers, it sounds like the following players are destined for Denver’s practice squad: wideout Michael Bandy (per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver), offensive lineman Joe Michalski (per Klis), offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton (per Klis), cornerback Jaden Robinson (per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston), and cornerback Reese Taylor (per Tomasson).

Trade Rumors: Smith, Broncos, Johnson

October 30th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Za’Darius Smith continues to come up in trade rumors, despite the Browns snapping their losing skid in Week 8. While Cleveland is not prepared to deal Myles Garrett due to the reigning Defensive Player of the Year remaining a cornerstone presence, Smith looms as a player likely to be dealt as the team regroups midway through Deshaun Watson‘s catastrophic contract. The Browns are still hearing from teams, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, with the former indicating a reasonable Day 3 pick would likely complete a trade. The Lions figure to be a team in on Smith, who addressed a potential Detroit deal recently, while the Ravens — who nearly re-signed Smith in 2022 — are believed to be eyeing defensive help.

In 2023, Smith moved from Minneapolis to Cleveland in a pick-swap trade that featured two fifth-rounders going to the Vikings along with sixth- and seventh-rounders being sent to the Browns. The veteran pass rusher is now 32 and tied to a two-year, $23MM deal that features both a veteran-minimum 2024 base salary — thanks to the Browns’ penchant for void years lowering cap hits — and a $2MM roster bonus due in 2025. The Browns would take on a hefty dead money bill if/when they move Smith, with $14MM-plus set to hit their 2025 books as a result of a deal. That would be an interesting development for a team that has Watson tied to a $72.9MM 2025 cap number.

Here is the latest from the trade market:

  • While the Browns will not need to cover any of Smith’s salary to move him, the Bears certainly will if they want to trade benched guard Nate Davis. Chicago is interested in dealing Davis, who has disappointed on his three-year, $30MM contract. Davis is due just more than $5MM in remaining 2024 salary, and Fowler notes the Bears are prepared to pay some of that tab to extract an asset from an O-line-needy team. Davis, 28, may see his path back to the Bears’ lineup further impeded by Ryan Bates‘ re-emergence; the 2024 trade pickup is in the IR-return window. Davis has not played since Week 5, and the four-year Titans starter has not started since Week 2.
  • John Lynch confirmed during a KNBR appearance (h/t Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News) the 49ers were not in on Diontae Johnson. The eighth-year GM has said the 49ers are confident in their receiving group even with Brandon Aiyuk out for the season. San Francisco defeated Dallas without Jauan Jennings but expects to have the WR3 back after their Week 9 bye. As for the Panthers‘ effort to move Johnson, 1340 AM’s Sheena Quick notes two teams were negotiating with the NFC South team prior to the Ravens‘ entrance into the derby. Baltimore came in last, per Quick, but is believed to have made the best offer. The Ravens checked in with a pick-swap proposal involving fifth- and sixth-rounders, and the Panthers are also paying part of Johnson’s salary in what became a wildly underwhelming return for Carolina. The Panthers had initially targeted a mid-round pick for the contract-year wideout.
  • Teams are wondering if the Broncos will still consider selling despite their best eight-game start (5-3) since 2016. In addition to Zach Wilson, previously believed to be available, Fowler adds teams view outside linebacker Baron Browning and cornerback Damarri Mathis as potentially available pieces. A starter to open the season, Browning just returned from IR. Teams looking at the contract-year edge defender points to a potential belief the Broncos will view fellow 2021 draftee Jonathon Cooper as the more likely extension candidate. Browning has played as a backup to Nik Bonitto upon returning, though a trade would strip an option away from a strong Denver defense. A starter to open last season, Mathis has been buried on Denver’s depth chart — one including Riley Moss as Patrick Surtain‘s boundary CB complement — since being activated from IR. Mathis generated summer trade buzz as well.

Broncos Activate Damarri Mathis From IR

October 17th, 2024 at 5:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Broncos have brought a number of contributors into the fold ahead of tonight’s game. In addition to edge rusher Baron Browning and right tackle Mike McGlinchey, Denver has activated cornerback Damarri Mathis.

The latter suffered a high ankle sprain during the Broncos’ preseason finale. That put an end to the chances of a trade taking place, although Denver preferred to hold onto the 25-year-old. While setting their initial roster, the Broncos designated Mathis for return on August 27, taking advantage of the league’s new rule allowing up to two injured players to be handled in that manner.

That left the former fourth-rounder off the initial roster during cutdowns, but it used up one of Denver’s eight allocated activations. Mathis returned to practice last week, opening his 21-day activation window and setting up an activation in time for the opening game of Week 7. He does not have a full-time starting spot in place upon returning to action, although with Patrick Surtain out for tonight’s contest Mathis could handle a notable role during his season debut.

Surtain and Riley Moss are Denver’s top perimeter corners, with Ja’Quan McMillian in place as the top slot option. Mathis logged 11 starts as a rookie but he was relegated to a rotational role on both defense and special teams last year. The Pitt product has 100 tackles and eight pass deflections to his name, and his workload moving forward will be influenced by his production when on the field.

Surtain (once he is back in action) will of course face the greatest expectations amongst Broncos defenders given the big-ticket extension he signed this summer. The team’s other cornerback options are young and cost-effective, though, and Mathis figures to have a role in that group now that he is back in the picture.

Broncos Designate CB Damarri Mathis, RB Audric Estime For Return

October 10th, 2024 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 10: Tomasson notes Estime should be activated in time for Week 6 as long as he does not encounter any setbacks over the next few days. His presence would again provide a depth option in the backfield as Denver looks for a fourth straight win on Sunday.

OCTOBER 9: As the Broncos have strung together a three-game win streak, reinforcements are on their way back. Both cornerback Damarri Mathis and running back Audric Estime returned to practice Wednesday, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson and KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

These are two different transactions, despite both players’ 21-day return windows being the same. The Broncos used one of their newly allowed preseason return designations on Mathis. The third-year corner already counts toward Denver’s eight in-season activations. Injured in Week 1, Estime does not. Once the rookie is activated, the Broncos’ count will drop from seven to six.

Trade interest came in for Mathis late this summer, but the high ankle sprain he sustained in Denver’s preseason finale cooled any talk of a swap. The Broncos, despite Sean Payton not being in place as HC when Mathis was drafted (Round 4, 2022), wanted to hold onto the former starter anyway.

Though, Mathis’ route back to the team’s starting lineup is currently closed. Riley Moss has seized the boundary gig opposite Patrick Surtain. Pro Football Focus rates Moss, a 2023 third-round pick who played mostly special teams as a rookie, as the league’s No. 7 overall corner. The Iowa alum has started all five Broncos games, forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass early in his second season.

Mathis returning would, however, supply depth for a Broncos secondary that also has an established slot starter (Ja’Quan McMillian). Mathis won the Broncos’ CB2 job out of training camp last year, having kept it after being the team’s Ronald Darby replacement in 2022. Denver, however, benched Mathis for Fabian Moreau early last season (Moreau is now with the Vikings). While the Pittsburgh product was relegated to ST duty after that October 2023 demotion, he has made 17 career starts. Mathis would join free agency pickup Levi Wallace as the Broncos’ top backup corners.

A fifth-round pick, Estime saw brief offensive action against the Seahawks in the Broncos’ opener but went down with an ankle malady. The Broncos have seen improvement from Javonte Williams in recent weeks, and Jaleel McLaughlin operates as the starter’s top complementary piece. Denver, however, recently placed Tyler Badie on IR. That stands to open a spot for Estime once he is ready to return. Rookie UDFA Blake Watson resides as the team’s current No. 3 running back.

Broncos Release Tim Patrick, Samaje Perine To Trim Roster To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 4:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Teams have moved their rosters to 53 players. Here is how the Broncos pared theirs down to the regular-season limit:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

  • OLB Durell Nchami

Placed on reserve/PUP:

IR/designated for return:

Patrick and Perine trades did not come to fruition. Both veterans are heading to free agency. Patrick had been with the Broncos since joining their practice squad in 2017; only Garett Bolles has been on the team longer. But Denver has added several wide receivers under Sean Payton‘s watch. Patrick, a John Elway-era pickup who signed an extension under GM George Paton, became expendable for the younger talent. The 30-year-old wideout has recovered from the ACL and Achilles tears that prevented him from playing a down with Russell Wilson. Humphrey may well be a practice squad option, given his New Orleans past with Payton.

Perine, 28, has been connected to a Bengals return. The veteran backup/pass-down option can now sign anywhere he chooses. Perine set a career high in receiving yardage (455) during his one-and-done Broncos run; Denver’s dead money charge ($1.5MM) will likely be offset if/once Perine lands elsewhere.

Sanders sustained an Achilles tear this offseason. The 2023 third-round pick figures to be in the team’s plans for later this season, but he will miss time — at least four games, per the PUP designation — on his rehab trek. Mathis must also miss four games, having suffered a high ankle sprain. The third-year cornerback is slated to return at some point, and the Broncos are using an IR-return designation, dropping their number from eight to seven to start the season.

Burton was viewed as a safe bet to make the team, and while roster gymnastics — which are less useful now that this IR-return tweak is in the mix — could bring him back, he received word of a release. Burton is a nine-year vet who spent last season with the Broncos. Mustipher signed this offseason but was not viewed as a true contender for the center spot, which appears set to go to 2022 fifth-round pick Luke Wattenberg.

Many of these players figure to be brought back to Denver’s practice squad, which can be set beginning Wednesday. Sixteen players will fill out that unit.

Broncos CB Damarri Mathis Generating Trade Interest

August 26th, 2024 at 6:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Broncos veterans are coming up in trades talks, as Sean Payton is set to move on from Tim Patrick and Samaje Perine. Another position group has attracted some interest as well.

The team went through a cornerback competition in training camp — to see who would start on the boundary opposite Patrick Surtain. This battle would not have been necessary had Damarri Mathis, who started for most of 2022 in place of an injured Ronald Darby, held onto the job last season. But Vance Joseph benched the 2022 fourth-rounder, leading to a competition forming this offseason.

Denver, which did not re-sign primary 2023 CB2 starter Fabian Moreau, has nevertheless received trade calls on Mathis, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. It does not look like the third-year corner is going anywhere, however. The Broncos are planning to keep the Pittsburgh alum, per Fowler, with an injury intervening as well. Mathis sustained a high ankle sprain against the Cardinals on Sunday, 9News’ Mike Klis adds.

Mathis was set to make Denver’s 53-man roster, Klis adds, though this would have come as a backup. Riley Moss has primarily worked as the Broncos’ starter as of late; the 2023 third-rounder had been viewed as the frontrunner going into camp. Denver also signed ex-Bills and Steelers starter Levi Wallace as veteran insurance. He is expected to make the 53-man roster, with fifth-round rookie Kris Abrams-Draine also set to earn a spot.

The Broncos had Darby in place as their primary Surtain complementary piece in 2022, but a season-ending injury led to Mathis making 11 starts that season. After Mathis had held his own under Ejiro Evero in 2022, Denver benched Mathis six games into last season. Pro Football Focus rated the 5-foot-11 defender as the league’s second-worst CB regular in 2023, though teams still appeared curious about his potential. Two years remain on Mathis’ rookie deal.

As of now, the Broncos are likely to roll out a Surtain-Moss-Ja’Quan McMillian trio at corner. It remains to be seen if the team will carry Mathis onto its 53-man roster or use one of its two early IR-return slots. If the Broncos place Mathis on IR before finalizing their 53-man roster, they would lose one of their eight IR activations before the season starts.

Zach Wilson Losing Ground In Broncos’ QB Competition

August 1st, 2024 at 6:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

This week of Broncos practices has revealed a separation in the team’s quarterback competition. One member of the three-man battle is losing ground to the point his place in it is now in question.

The team’s recent workouts included Jarrett Stidham and Bo Nix receiving their turns with the first-string offense, but Zach Wilson saw his turn with the 1s skipped. For the time being, per ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, this appears a two-man competition. Sean Payton said recently the Broncos would eliminate a member from the competition during the first two weeks of padded practices. It looks like Wilson will be the one dropped, putting his roster spot in question.

[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Denver Broncos]

Payton indicated today the current makeup of Denver’s QB competition is not “etched in stone,” and SI.com’s Albert Breer adds it has been communicated to the former Jets No. 2 overall pick he is not yet out of this race. But Wilson entered training camp with ground to cover to win even the backup job. Early camp work is continuing this storyline.

No plans to stash Nix as a developmental third-stringer are in place, and Breer adds the No. 12 overall pick is swiftly picking up Payton’s offense. That said, Legwold indicates Stidham has spent most of this week with Denver’s first-stringers. Stidham, who has moved into a starting role after two teams have sat their starters (Russell Wilson, Derek Carr) due to injury guarantees, has the most experience of the trio in Payton’s offense, as he signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Broncos last March.

Stidham, 28 next week, would appear a placeholder at best. Nix being 24 and having set the record for most starts by a Division I-FBS quarterback (61) points to him making his starter debut early in the season — if not in Week 1. The preseason will be telling regarding the Oregon- and Auburn-developed prospect’s chances of winning this job — though, a midsummer report indicated it is likely his to lose — but Stidham should not be expected to hold him off for too long.

The Broncos would take on $2.73MM in dead money by releasing Zach Wilson and $2MM by cutting Stidham. Payton typically keeps two QBs on his active roster. Wilson would need to clear waivers to factor into any Broncos practice squad/emergency QB3 plans.

Elsewhere in Broncos camp, Breer notes the team’s No. 2 cornerback competition looks to be down to Riley Moss and Damarri Mathis. The team signed Levi Wallace and used a fifth-round pick on Kris Abrams-Draine, but this competition appeared Moss’ to lose entering camp.

The 2023 third-rounder, for whom the Broncos sent the Seahawks a 2024 third-rounder to acquire, played a special teams role after a core muscle injury set his development back last summer. Mathis, a 2022 fourth-rounder who replaced Ronald Darby as Denver’s outside CB starter opposite Patrick Surtain in 2022, struggled to start last season and was benched for Fabian Moreau. Wallace is the veteran of this group, with Moreau signing with the Vikings this week, but he was unable to hold a Steelers starting gig last season. The Broncos, who have Mathis signed through 2025 and Moss through 2026, only guaranteed Wallace $668K.

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