Broncos To Re-Sign LB Justin Strnad
The Broncos are keeping linebacker Justin Strnad off the open market. On the eve of the legal tampering period, Denver and Strnad have come to terms on a three-year, $18MM extension, as Scoop City‘s James Palmer reports. Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says the deal can max out at $19.5MM and includes $10MM guaranteed at signing.
Strnad, a 2020 draftee who missed his entire rookie season due to a wrist injury, saw some action as a rotational defender in 2021 and even earned five starts. Over the 2022-23 seasons, however, he played exclusively on special teams.
That limited usage appeared as it would lead him out of Denver in the 2024 offseason, but Strnad elected to return to the Broncos in a decision that paid dividends for both parties. As an injury replacement for Alex Singleton in ‘24, Strnad appeared in over half of the club’s defensive snaps and recorded 73 tackles, including eight TFLs and three sacks.
After another one-year deal kept him in place for 2025, Strnad was called upon to fill in for a different injured player, Dre Greenlaw. Strnad again played well, recording 58 tackles, five TFLs, 4.5 sacks, and the first interception of his career. Pro Football Focus considered him the 24th-best ‘backer out of 74 qualified players.
That performance convinced Strnad he is a starting-caliber linebacker in the NFL, and as such, he was said to be seeking a multiyear deal and a starting opportunity. He acknowledged that such an opportunity may need to come from a team other than the Broncos if Denver were to re-sign Singleton, who is also out of contract.
The Strnad deal would therefore seem to suggest the club has made the choice to keep Strnad, 29, over the 32-year-old Singleton. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, that is not the case, as the Broncos are still working to retain Singleton. Greenlaw, who was recently named as a potential cap casualty, is not explicity mentioned in Fowler’s report, but the ESPN scribe suggests Denver wants to keep all of its LBs together.
Whether that is a realistic outcome remains to be seen, but it is at least understandable. The Broncos, who have been active in extending their core players over the past several years, boasted one of the league’s top defenses in 2025 and nearly advanced to the Super Bowl. Although John Franklin-Myers appears to be on his way out, Denver has managed to keep an underrated cog in its front seven.
Broncos Rumors: Franklin-Myers, Powers, Trautman, TE, Lewis, Singleton, Strnad
It looks like the Broncos are days away from losing John Franklin-Myers. Although a degree of interest has come from the reigning AFC West champs, no offer is believed to have come. Denver extended Courtland Sutton, Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto during training camp and then paid Luke Wattenberg, Malcolm Roach and Wil Lutz. The Allen, Bonitto and Roach extensions followed Jonathon Cooper‘s 2024 re-up and the March 2025 D.J. Jones re-signing. The writing appears on the wall for Franklin-Myers, a solid Denver starter for two seasons.
This is also an ideal time for Franklin-Myers to hit free agency, with a dearth of higher-end inside D-line options available. As a result of this clear runway, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler hears a $20MM-per-year contract may be necessary to win this FA derby. Franklin-Myers is going into an age-30 season and played out a two-year, $15MM deal. The Jets had him on a four-year, $55MM accord but traded it in a salary-dump deal during the 2024 draft. After 14.5 sacks over the past two seasons — as part of two top-three scoring defenses in Denver — the Allen sidekick is poised to be one of this free agency’s biggest winners.
Here is the latest out of Denver:
- In PFR’s Broncos Offseason Outlook piece, I mentioned Ben Powers as a trade candidate. The Wattenberg extension gave Denver five O-line salaries at $12MM or higher, and Powers is going into a contract year and approaching his 30th birthday. The three-year Broncos left guard is carrying a $17.43MM cap number and continues to be linked to a possible trade. Fowler mentions the former Raven as a player who could be on the move soon. The Broncos have former UDFA Alex Palczewski as an internal replacement; the team will likely tender Palczewski (10 2025 starts) as an RFA by the March 11 deadline. If the Broncos trade Powers, they would save $8.38MM in cap space. Denver currently holds $25.23MM — 13th-most.
- Another cost-saving measure the Broncos can take would be an Evan Engram release. Sean Payton‘s would-be “Joker” performer was not a major factor in his first season of a two-year, $23MM contract; Denver can save $6.47MM by designating Engram a post-June 1 cut. Engram, 31, is not a lock to be released, per 9News’ Mike Klis, but Payton wants to add another receiving tight end this offseason. Denver hopes to re-sign starter Adam Trautman, per Klis, but he does not contribute much as a receiver. Engram (461 yards, one TD in 2025) would join Isaiah Likely, Dallas Goedert, Cade Otton, Chig Okonkwo and David Njoku as notable TEs available if cut. One of the outside options could be in play for the Broncos if they do move on. Denver is also unlikely to tender tight end Lucas Krull as an RFA, Klis adds.
- The Broncos allowed Marcedes Lewis to set the record for seasons by a tight end (20), and no pure TE has played past 41 — Lewis’ age last season. The 2006 first-round pick is interested in playing one more season, the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson tweets. Lewis, who has interest in coaching as well, played 81 offensive snaps over five games as a Bronco last year.
- Dre Greenlaw looms as a possible cap casualty after missing nine games due to injury in his first Broncos slate. That is not certain, as Denver has regulars Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad unsigned. GM George Paton said (via the Denver Post’s Luca Evans) is interested in keeping both linebackers. A four-year Broncos starter who recovered from testicular cancer, Singleton played out a three-year, $18MM deal. He turned 32 in December. Strnad, 29, was the team’s Greenlaw sub who logged a 55% snap share last season. Strnad, Denver’s Singleton injury sub in 2024, is interested in landing a starting role somewhere after playing out a one-year, $2.87MM contract. Keeping Greenlaw, with Denver also tied to first-round ILBs in mock drafts, likely would mean at least one of the Singleton-Strnad duo exits in free agency.
Broncos S Brandon Jones Undergoes Surgery; C Luke Wattenberg In Play To Return
While some injured Broncos are likely to return for the team’s divisional-round Bills matchup, two others will not. Brandon Jones and Luke Wattenberg are on IR. Wattenberg cannot come back until at least the AFC championship game. Jones is eligible to return now, but he is not expected to do so.
The Denver safety starter underwent pectoral surgery, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. Although Klis keeps the door open to a potential Super Bowl LX reemergence for Jones, Sean Payton said later (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) the sixth-year veteran is unlikely to play again this season.
Jones suffered a pec injury during the Broncos’ Week 15 win over the Packers. Jones sat out the final three regular-season games, and with the Broncos booking the AFC’s bye, he would have been eligible to be activated from IR this week. But that will not happen.
The Broncos have used Jones as a starter since giving him a three-year, $20MM deal in free agency in 2024. The ex-Dolphin has played well in Denver, teaming with 2025 FA pickup Talanoa Hufanga. P.J. Locke, who teamed with Jones as a starter last season, is now working alongside Hufanga — whom the AP named a second-team All-Pro last week.
A better piece of Broncos injury news comes along their offensive line. Wattenberg is in play to return if the No. 1 seed reaches the AFC championship game, Klis adds. Wattenberg suffered a shoulder injury against the Jaguars in Week 16. Because of Denver booking a first-round bye, he would be allowed to return after only missing three games — as opposed to the usual four required with an IR placement.
Wattenberg has been the Broncos’ center starter for the past two seasons; the team gave the Lloyd Cushenberry successor a four-year, $48MM extension during its bye week. The Broncos have turned to 2023 seventh-round pick Alex Forsyth as their Wattenberg fill-in. Forsyth, who snapped to QB Bo Nix at Oregon during the 2022 season, is the only rookie contract along Denver’s O-line — which has veterans Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Quinn Meinerz and Mike McGlinchey all signed through at least 2026. Wattenberg’s deal runs through 2029.
Payton called J.K. Dobbins “close” to returning, though the veteran running back — who is rehabbing a Lisfranc injury — did not see his practice window opened today. Previously, a Super Bowl appearance was viewed as the requirement for a Dobbins comeback timeline to make sense. Defenders Dre Greenlaw and John Franklin-Myers, however, returned to practice after missing time. Greenlaw, whose first Broncos season has been filled with various maladies, is returning from a hamstring issue. Franklin-Myers, who sits as the Broncos’ highest-profile 2026 free agent after not receiving an extension, is battling a strained hip sustained in Week 17, per Klis. Greenlaw was limited Tuesday, while Franklin-Myers practiced fully.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/25
Here are Tuesday’s minor NFL moves as the headlines are taken up by bigger names due to the impending trade deadline:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Tommy Akingbesote
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off 49ers’ practice squad: OLB Trevis Gipson
- Waived: DT Jaden Crumedy
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: DE Austin Booker
- Placed on IR: DL Shemar Turner (story)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: LB Shaka Heyward, C Matt Lee
- Released: DT Mike Pennel
Denver Broncos
- Activated from commissioners/suspended list: LB Dre Greenlaw
- Released: QB Sam Ehlinger
Los Angeles Chargers
- Practice window opened: CB Deane Leonard
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: CB Tre Brown
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: CB Storm Duck (story)
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Browns): CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
- Placed on IR: RB Cam Skattebo (story)
New York Jets
- Waived: WR Brandon Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived (with injury settlement): DT Domenique Davis
Tennessee Titans
- Signed off Packers’ practice squad: CB Micah Robinson
- Signed off Patriots’ practice squad: OLB Truman Jones
- Placed on IR: OLB Ali Gaye
The Bengals cleared out a few roster spots today as Heyward will need about four weeks to work his way back from a hairline fracture in his fibula. Pennel, a 12-year veteran on the interior defensive line, had started to cede his defensive snaps to younger options and found himself falling down the depth chart despite appearing in every game this season. He requested his release from the team, and it was granted.
Similar to when San Francisco brought Greenlaw back from injured reserve, the 49ers are releasing Ehlinger to make room on the 53-man roster. Like last time, the plan is for Ehlinger to remain in Denver via an addition to the practice squad tomorrow.
Broncos LB Dre Greenlaw Suspended One Game
OCTOBER 21: Greenlaw’s suspension has been upheld on appeal, per NFL Senior VP of Football & International Communications Michael Signora. The Broncos linebacker will officially be sitting out Sunday’s matchup with the Cowboys.
OCTOBER 20: Dre Greenlaw has been hit with a one-game ban. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Broncos linebacker has been suspended one game without pay for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Per the NFL’s release (via Josina Anderson), Greenlaw “chased after referee Brad Allen and verbally threatened him as he tried to leave the field.” The league cited Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1(b), which prohibits “the use of abusive, threatening or insulting language or gestures to opponents, teammates, officials, or representatives of the League.” It’s uncertain what sparked Greenlaw’s outburst, but NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo suspects it may have stemmed from the pass-interference penalty on a previous drive that ultimately got head coach Sean Payton flagged for arguing.
Garafolo notes that Greenlaw has three days to appeal his suspension. If it’s upheld, the linebacker will be forced to miss this Sunday’s matchup with the Cowboys.
It’s not ideal timing for the veteran, who was just making his Broncos debut after sitting out the first month-plus of the season while recovering from a quad injury. He ended up getting into about a quarter of his team’s defensive snaps yesterday, finishing with six total tackles and a QB hit. Greenlaw joined the Broncos on a three-year, $35MM deal after spending the first six seasons of his career with the 49ers. Injuries wiped out his 2021 and 2024 seasons, but he compiled a total of 247 tackles between 2022 and 2023.
Alex Singleton has yet to miss a defensive snap for the Broncos this season and will continue anchoring the linebackers room, but the team will have to get a bit creative with Greenlaw out for Week 8. Justin Strnad stepped up while his teammate was sidelined with an injury, and the former fifth-round pick will likely continue seeing a healthy dose of snaps against Dallas. Rookie Que Robinson has also seen an uptick in playing time since making his NFL debut in Week 6.
Broncos Activate LB Dre Greenlaw From IR
OCTOBER 18: As expected, Greenlaw is indeed back in the fold. The Broncos officially activated him on Saturday, per a team announcement. Today’s move leaves Denver with five IR activations for the remainder of the campaign.
OCTOBER 15: The Broncos’ defense smothered the Jets in London, covering for an inconsistent offense. Denver sacked Justin Fields nine times and holds a runaway lead in that category this season, also seeing its secondary provide a considerable boost to open the year.
Denver, though, has shown a vulnerability on its defensive second level. The team has Alex Singleton back, but the aging linebacker is coming off an ACL tear. Dre Greenlaw has also been out. The latter issue may be resolved soon. Greenlaw returned to practice Wednesday, per 9News’ Mike Klis, officially opening his 21-day IR-return window.
[RELATED: 2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker]
Given a three-year, $31.5MM deal to leave San Francisco for Colorado, Greenlaw only secured $11.5MM guaranteed at signing. The standout linebacker having missed almost all of the 2024 season — due to a historically ill-timed (for the 49ers) Achilles tear suffered during Super Bowl LVIII — significantly impacted his market. But Greenlaw still drew extensive interest. He opted to reaffirm his Broncos commitment despite an 11th-hour push from the 49ers for him to return. Though, Denver has seen next to nothing from its investment thus far.
Following the deal, Greenlaw sustained multiple quad-related setbacks. He sustained a strained quad while training on his own this offseason, and while a training camp return commenced, a separate quad issue surfaced in July. Greenlaw encountered a recovery setback, per the Denver Post’s Luca Evans, leading to an IR placement before Week 3. It represents a good sign for the Broncos that Greenlaw is practicing when first eligible, but he has certainly proven unreliable over the past two seasons.
Singleton has struggled in coverage, though he has not missed any time since returning from the ACL tear. Greenlaw was set to begin the season on a pitch count before his setback, so it would stand to reason the Broncos ease him into action. They may need to see a lot from Greenlaw in his truncated season, as a $2MM guarantee is due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. Otherwise, the Broncos can escape this contract fairly easily after one season.
PFR’s No. 40 free agent, Greenlaw was one of the NFL’s better all-around linebackers when healthy as a 49er. Before his injury significantly impacted the 49ers in their Chiefs Super Bowl rematch, he worked as a dynamic Fred Warner wingman. Pro Football Focus graded Greenlaw ninth among non-rush ‘backers in 2022 and 23rd in ’23, viewing him as a plus coverage player. The former fifth-round pick made 247 tackles in that span. That skillset would benefit a Broncos team that does not have many weaknesses on defense. Vance Joseph‘s unit enters Week 7 ranked second in points and yardage.
Greenlaw fill-in Justin Strnad has contributed to the Broncos’ NFL-leading sack total (30), registering 3.5 despite his role as an off-ball LB. It will be interesting to see how much time the re-signed backup/spot starter receives once Greenlaw returns. Having traveled to Philadelphia and London with the team, Greenlaw would appear close to debuting. But his recent past will assuredly keep Strnad on call.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/25
Here are today’s minor moves as we head into the seventh weekend of the regular season:
Chicago Bears
- Released: DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
Denver Broncos
- Released: QB Sam Ehlinger
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: LS Rick Lovato
The Broncos designated veteran linebacker Dre Greenlaw for his eventual return to the active roster on Wednesday. It looks like one week of practice may have been all Denver needed to see. According to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette, Ehlinger’s release is designed to clear a spot for Greenlaw on the 53-man roster as he comes back from injured reserve. Ehlinger is expected to sign back with the team’s practice squad.
Broncos LB Dre Greenlaw Lands On IR
Broncos veteran linebacker Dre Greenlaw was a known scratch to open up the season as he dealt with a quad issue, but with Week 3 about to be played out, Greenlaw is still nowhere close to coming back. Denver had been hoping to avoid placing Greenlaw on any injured lists, but it was forced to bite the bullet today and make the decision to land Greenlaw on injured reserve.
The quad issue came about five months ago and has continued to limit the team’s offseason addition. Per Mike Klis of 9NEWS, the new target date for Greenlaw’s return is a Week 7 matchup against the Giants in mid-October.
It’s hard to say if he would’ve had to sit out that long regardless of when he was placed on an injured list, but by not placing him on IR sooner, the Broncos have ensured that Greenlaw will now miss almost half of the regular season. This comes after Greenlaw missed almost all of the 2024 season — an absence stemming from the Achilles tear he sustained in Super Bowl LVIII.
Denver gave Greenlaw a three-year, $31.5MM deal on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. The veteran linebacker kept his Broncos pledge despite a last-ditch 49ers push, but largely due to his 2024 absences, the longtime Fred Warner sidekick only received $11.5MM guaranteed at signing. The Broncos can get out of this deal for just $4.33MM in 2026 dead money by releasing Greenlaw before a $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. As it stands, Greenlaw looks likely to need a strong second half to remain on this contract next season.
The Broncos returned a top-five defense but were counting on two starting ILBs coming back from injury. While Alex Singleton has returned to regular duty following his September 2024 ACL tear, Greenlaw remains sidelined. Denver has not made any linebacker additions in-season, relaying on 2024 Singleton fill-in Justin Strnad — re-signed in March — to take Greenlaw’s place. That combination did not fare especially well against the Colts in Week 2, and Greenlaw’s absence will likely continue to be felt moving forward.
The team could have some help by Week 5, with ILB Drew Sanders on short-term IR, but the oft-injured defender is not certain to be ready to return from foot surgery by then. Practice squad linebacker Garret Wallow will help provide some depth at the position as a standard gameday practice squad elevation for the second week in a row. Fullback Adam Prentice will also be elevated from the practice squad again.
This is actually Prentice’s third time getting called up as an elevation. Because of the three-game limit for practice squad elevations, if Denver would like to see Prentice in any more games after this, they’ll need to sign him to the active roster. After doing so, they can cut him after the game and re-sign him back to the practice squad, at which point he would be eligible for three new elevations.
John Franklin-Myers Not Expecting Broncos Extension; Latest On Nik Bonitto Deal
The Broncos have now completed their three top extension priorities, coming to terms with Courtland Sutton, Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto. The Bonitto deal came to pass Thursday, and it marked a fourth contract given to a front-seven starter since November 2024.
Denver also re-upped Jonathon Cooper and D.J. Jones in this span. This spending spree naturally will leave some on the outside looking in. John Franklin-Myers expects to be one of those who miss out, with the Denver Post’s Luca Evans reporting no extension is likely. Franklin-Myers, then, will be on track to hit free agency in 2026. No talks had taken place as of late August.
[RELATED: Recapping Broncos’ 2025 Offseason]
“Shoot, it’s only a matter of time,” Franklin-Myers said, via Evans, after the Bonitto deal emerged. “You can’t deny me. And a lot of that stuff is circumstantial, is based on circumstances. But after this year, I’m a free agent, and I control the circumstances.”
Acquired in a salary-dump trade with the Jets during the 2024 draft, Franklin-Myers became a full-time starter in the Broncos’ 3-4 defense. The versatile D-lineman played a part in the Broncos leading the NFL in sacks, finishing with seven to go with eight tackles for loss and 18 QB hits. The seven sacks marked a career-high tally for the soon-to-be 29-year-old defender. Another strong year would make him a candidate to land a starter-level deal in free agency come March.
Franklin-Myers has not reached free agency previously. The Jets claimed him from the Rams and later extended him. With the team expecting to have Haason Reddick in Week 1 of last season, it unloaded Franklin-Myers to Denver for a 2025 sixth-round pick. Franklin-Myers joined Allen and Jones as Broncos D-line starters last season but saw the team trade up for D-lineman Sai’Vion Jones (via the Eagles) in the third round this year. With money going to Allen and D.J. Jones (and the two OLBs), Franklin-Myers appears set to play out his two-year, $15MM deal before potentially giving way to Sai’Vion Jones in 2026.
Malcolm Roach joins Franklin-Myers as a contract-year Denver D-lineman, though the ex-Sean Payton Saints charge would be easier to retain by comparison. Roach, though, will not start his second Broncos season on time. The interior defender suffered a grade two calf strain, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. The Broncos have already ruled out Roach and linebacker Dre Greenlaw for Week 1. Spending most of his first Broncos offseason out, Greenlaw is down with a quad issue.
The team was already going to keep Greenlaw on a pitch count to start the year, due to his recent Achilles trouble, but the Broncos’ LB depth will again be tested. Justin Strnad, who replaced Alex Singleton last season, will be the likely next man up. Singleton has returned from the ACL tear he sustained in Week 3 last season.
Circling back to Bonitto’s deal, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports it contains $38.35MM at signing. The four-year, $106MM extension includes a key 2026 date. If/when Bonitto is on the Broncos’ roster on Day 5 of the ’26 league year, his $24.49MM 2027 base salary shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee, according to OverTheCap.
The Broncos used this rolling guarantee structure in their Allen and Mike McGlinchey contracts, and it effectively ensures Bonitto will be on this deal for at least the next three seasons. Bonitto, who only landed the 10th-largest EDGE deal despite waiting out a market that skyrocketed this offseason, also secured a rolling guarantee structure for 2028. If on Denver’s roster by Day 5 of the 2027 league year, the All-Pro OLB will see $7.16MM of his $20.99MM 2028 base salary become fully guaranteed, per Florio. Bonitto’s 2029 base salary is nonguaranteed.
Broncos Notes: Nix, Contracts, Ehlinger, LBs
While the Broncos have a rookie-QB salary headlining their roster, they are still not out of the woods on the Russell Wilson contract. The 2022 trade/extension mistake — which the NFLPA grievance shed more light on — still has Bo Nix‘s predecessor on the Broncos’ cap sheet for $32MM. This has influenced how the Broncos have structured contracts and approached acquisitions.
As ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold notes, the Saints had 11 Sean Payton-era draft classes in which they chose fewer than seven rookies. The Broncos grabbed seven in 2024 and ’25. This was by design, as Legwold indicates the Wilson release influenced the Broncos to pivot from the veteran-heavy roster constructions Payton preferred in New Orleans. Denver did enjoy a more notable free agency period this year than last, signing the likes of Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Evan Engram. But the team also minimized its usage of void years. While Denver added a void year to Patrick Surtain‘s extension to help with 2025 cap space, the cap-manipulating tactic did not surface in Zach Allen‘s four-year, $104MM deal.
Void years savants, the Saints continue to navigate historic cap issues each offseason. The Broncos began their Payton years by using this route regularly — via the Mike McGlinchey, Ben Powers and Garett Bolles deals. Even Courtland Sutton‘s extension includes two dummy years, but a source told Legwold Broncos ownership seems to have an influence in this matter. Payton’s Saints past injects some “prove it” vibes to any notions of a stripes change regarding cost conservation, but many in the league noticed some changes this offseason.
It will be interesting to see if more comes from CEO Greg Penner regarding contract structure in the near future. Here is the latest out of Denver:
- The Nix pick drew reach labels last year, but Payton helped coax a strong rookie season from the No. 12 overall selection. When the Broncos assembled their 2024 QB big board, they ranked Nix behind only Jayden Daniels, per Legwold. Payton’s Nix infatuation has been well chronicled, and it is certainly interesting the Broncos appear to have ranked the polarizing Oregon prospect above no-doubt No. 1 Caleb Williams. We are still far too early in this quarterback class’ run to establish a clear hierarchy. This year, when seven 2024 QB draftees (counting the Saints’ Spencer Rattler) will start in Week 1, will provide more evidence on each second-year QB talent.
- Behind Nix and Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger resides on Denver’s practice squad. Ehlinger is believed to have received two active-roster invites following his Broncos release, veteran insider Jordan Schultz notes. They were each viewed as contending teams, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. Considering the gulf between veteran-minimum money and practice squad payouts, Ehlinger’s decision is interesting. The Broncos can up his rate via gameday elevations or a potential signing off the practice squad in-season.
- Denver will count on two starters recovering from at linebacker, in Greenlaw and Alex Singleton. Greenlaw, who suffered an Achilles tear in Super Bowl LVIII and missed most of last season, also was down due to multiple injuries this offseason. Payton pointed to (via the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel) pitch counts for the two LBs early in the season. The Broncos re-signed Justin Strnad, Singleton’s primary sub after the starter’s Week 3 ACL tear, and kept rookie UDFA Karene Reid as backups. Those two may see more time earlier, as Greenlaw and Singleton round into form.
- Tight end Nate Adkins remains on the Broncos’ 53-man roster, rather than being stashed as an IR-return player, after undergoing tightrope surgery to address a high ankle sprain. Adam Prentice is the current Denver fullback, but when Atkins returns, Tomasson adds the team is considering sliding him to a fullback role. Adkins is one of four Broncos TEs, joining Engram, Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull.
- Four RBs (J.K. Dobbins, R.J. Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie) are on the active roster, and Tomasson indicates the team could circle back to Blake Watson. The Broncos reached an injury settlement with the second-year UDFA after he suffered a preseason PCL strain. They want him back on the P-squad, per Tomasson, who notes it is a three-week injury settlement. No deal can commence until that time passes.