Eight players did not play for the Broncos in Week 2, including rookie running back Blake Watson, who was a healthy scratch.
Eight members of the Denver Broncos’ 53-man roster did not play in the team’s Week 2 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson, wide receiver Devaughn Vele, running back Blake Watson, cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, offensive tackle Frank Crum, tight end Lucas Krull and defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike were inactive for Sunday’s game.
Vele was sidelined due to injury, the six other inactive players were healthy scratches. Despite being inactive, Wilson still dressed as the team’s emergency third-string quarterback. Bo Nix played every snap on offense, so primary backup Jarrett Stidham did not play, giving Denver eight total players who did not see the field against the Steelers.
Watson was inactive for the second straight week despite Audric Estime going on injured reserve with an ankle injury. The Broncos elevated Tyler Badie from the practice squad to serve as RB3 against Pittsburgh. Badie had one carry for 16 yards and one catch for two yards on Sunday.
Here’s a look at the Broncos’ depth chart for today’s game against the Steelers.
The Denver Broncos are set to host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season.
The Broncos have made no lineup changes to their depth chart, but running back Audric Estime was placed on injured reserve and fullback Michael Burton was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster last week.
Estime going on IR bumps Blake Watson up to RB3. Burton’s promotion does not impact the depth chart because he was listed as the team’s starting fullback even while he was on the practice squad.
Here’s a look at Denver’s depth chart going into Sunday’s game.
The Broncos did not make any official changes to their depth chart this week, but a few snap count trends are worth monitoring.
Following their 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, the Denver Broncos are now set to host the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend.
Ahead of Sunday’s showdown, the Broncos have released their depth chart for Week 2, featuring no changes from last week.
While no official changes have been made to the starting lineup, it’s worth noting that wide receiver Devaughn Vele (34 snaps) was more involved than Lil’Jordan Humphrey (21 snaps) and Marvin Mims (12 snaps) in Week 1. Humphrey is listed on the depth chart despite being a practice squad player.
On defense, linebacker Kristian Welch (19 snaps) took playing time away from Cody Barton (24 snaps) on Sunday (Alex Singleton played all 67 snaps). It will be interesting to see if Welch’s role continues to expand.
The Broncos held out eight players during their season opener against the Seahawks on Sunday.
Eight members of the Denver Broncos’ 53-man roster did not play in the team’s season opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin, tight end Lucas Krull, running back Blake Watson, offensive tackle Frank Crum, defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike and cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine were healthy scratches.
Zach Wilson was also “inactive,” but he dressed for the game as an emergency third-string quarterback. No such emergencies arose so Wilson never entered the game.
Primary backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham did not get any snaps, either, giving Denver eight total players who did not play in Seattle. The 45 other players on the Broncos’ active roster all played at least one snap.
Perhaps the most notable player among Denver’s inactives on Sunday was Franklin, who was a fourth-round pick in April’s draft. Franklin struggled to make an impact in preseason and he does not play on special teams, so it’s not too surprising that he’s beginning the season as a healthy scratch.
It sounds like the Packers are moving forward with Malik Willis and Sean Clifford, so presumably no Zach Wilson or Jarrett Stidham trade.
Despite losing starting quarterback Jordan Love for “about three weeks” to a knee injury, the Green Bay Packers are not expected to add a veteran quarterback to their roster.
The Packers are “focused on preparing Malik Willis and Sean Clifford” for Week 2, according to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Green Bay is expected to start Willis against the Indianapolis Colts next week, according to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports (via Packers Wire).
Prior to those reports on Sunday, there had been speculation that Green Bay could sign a veteran free agent like Ryan Tannehill or trade for a backup like Zach Wilson or Jarrett Stidham. Instead, it sounds like the Packers will stick with their in-house QBs while Love recovers from an MCL injury.
Love, 25, injured his knee in a 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil on Friday night. A best-case scenario for Green Bay would be Love returning in Weeks 4 or 5.
After losing Jordan Love for “about three weeks” to a knee injury, the Packers should make the Broncos a trade offer for a quarterback.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love suffered a knee sprain in the team’s season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday and the quarterback is now expected to miss “about three weeks.”
The Packers still haven’t announced who will start while Love is sidelined. Their two options are Malik Willis (who has three career starts on his resume) and Sean Clifford, who threw just one pass as a rookie last fall.
A third option would be bringing in an outside quarterback.
The Denver Broncos have a pair of potential trade candidates in Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson.
Stidham (28) has only started four games in his career, but he’s a veteran who has been in the NFL since 2019. He is currently listed as the No. 2 quarterback on Denver’s depth chart behind starter Bo Nix. Stidham rushed for a touchdown against the Packers in Week 2 of preseason.
Wilson (25) is a former second overall pick with 33 career starts. The Broncos have consistently praised Wilson this summer despite his QB3 status. Wilson threw a touchdown pass against Green Bay in preseason.
The Broncos sent a sixth-round draft pick to the New York Jets in exchange for Wilson and a seventh-round pick in April. Perhaps general manager George Paton could talk the Packers into a fifth-round pick for Wilson?
There have been no reports thus far that Green Bay is planning to bring in an outside QB, but the Packers should consider giving Denver a call.
Bo Nix is the Denver Broncos’ 14th starting quarterback since Peyton Manning’s retirement. Here’s the full list.
The Denver Broncos have been in football purgatory following Peyton Manning’s retirement from the NFL.
Manning played in Denver from 2012-2015, posting a 45-12 record as the team’s starter. The Broncos won the AFC West in all four of Manning’s seasons and they reached two Super Bowls.
After winning Super Bowl 50, Manning retired during the 2016 offseason. Denver spent the last nine years searching for a replacement. Broncos fans now have hope that Bo Nix will finally break the team’s post-Manning quarterback curse.
Nix, who was picked by Denver in the first round of the NFL draft in April, will become the Broncos’ 14th starting quarterback since Manning’s retirement. Here’s the full list.
Broncos starting quarterbacks since Peyton Manning
Siemian was the team’s only full-time starter to post a winning record, but he wasn’t a franchise quarterback. Here’s a quick look back at each QB.
1. Trevor Siemian: 13-11
(Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
Denver’s most successful quarterback since Manning’s retirement (in terms of record), Siemian nearly reached the playoffs in his first season under center. After spending last year as a backup with the New York Jets, Siemian is now a free agent.
2. Paxton Lynch: 1-3
(Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)
One of the biggest busts in franchise history, Lynch went on to have unsuccessful stints in the CFL, USFL and XFL after falling out of the NFL in 2019. He’s currently a free agent.
3. Brock Osweiler: 0-4
(Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
Osweiler was an important player for the Broncos during their Super Bowl 50 run as he filled in well for an injured Manning during the 2015 season. Osweiler’s second stint with the team did not go well, though, and he retired from the NFL in 2019.
4. Case Keenum: 6-10
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Keenum had an unremarkable one-year run with the Broncos in 2018. He’s now a backup with the Houston Texans.
5. Joe Flacco: 2-6
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Flacco joined the Broncos in 2019 and he didn’t last long in Denver. He’s now a backup with the Indianapolis Colts.
6. Brandon Allen: 1-2
(Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)
Allen started three games in 2019 when Flacco and Drew Lock were recovering from injuries. Allen is now a backup with the San Francisco 49ers.
7. Jeff Driskel: 0-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Driskel started one game when Lock was injured in 2020 and it didn’t go well. He’s now a backup with the Washington Commanders.
8. Brett Rypien: 2-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Rypien started one game in the place of an injured Lock and two games in the place of an injured Russell Wilson. He is now a backup with the Chicago Bears.
9. Drew Lock: 8-13
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Lock had moments of strong play in Denver, but his turnovers often proved to be costly. He was sent to Seattle as part of the Wilson trade and he spent two years as a backup with the Seahawks. Lock is now a backup with the New York Gitans.
10. Kendall Hinton/Phillip Lindsay: 0-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
When all four of Denver’s quarterbacks were ruled ineligible to play in Week 12 of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 policy, wide receiver Kendall Hinton was called up from the practice squad to play quarterback that week. Technically, the Broncos had Lindsay line up in a Wild Cat formation for the first play, so Hinton was not officially credited with a QB start, but he was Denver’s QB that day.
Hinton and Lindsay are now both out of the NFL.
11. Teddy Bridgewater: 7-7
(Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
Bridgewater was one of Denver’s best quarterbacks since the Manning era, but it still wasn’t enough for the Broncos to get back into playoff contention. After backup stints with the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, Bridgewater retired from the NFL in February. He now coaches high school football in Miami.
12. Russell Wilson: 11-19
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
The Broncos paid a king’s ransom to acquire Wilson from the Seahawks in 2022 and he ended up starting just 30 games in Denver. Wilson went 4-11 in 2022 and 7-8 in 2023. Payton took on the largest dead money cap hit in NFL history to move on from Wilson this spring. He now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
13. Jarrett Stidham: 1-1
(Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
After the Broncos benched Wilson last year, Stidham started the final two games of the season and split the results. He competed with Nix for Denver’s starting job this summer but wasn’t able to fend off the rookie for QB1 duties.
14. Bo Nix: 0-0
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
On paper, Nix seems to be a perfect fit for Payton’s offense. He will make his regular-season NFL debut when the Broncos go on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 (Sept. 8). After eight seasons of inconsistent quarterback play, Denver now turns to Nix to get the franchise back on track.
Here is the Broncos’ depth chart for today’s game against the Seahawks.
With the 53-man roster set, the Denver Broncos are ready for their Week 1 showdown with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
The depth chart has few surprises — Jarrett Stidham is the backup quarterback above Zach Wilson, and Riley Moss is listed as a starting cornerback across from Pat Surtain. Both were expected.
Even though we have now reached the regular season, the Broncos still call this their “unofficial” depth chart, so take it with a grain of salt. It seems to be mostly accurate for how the rotations break down, so here’s a look at the depth chart going into Week 1.
There were no big surprises (Jarrett Stidham getting the QB2 nod over Zach Wilson is not a big surprise), but there were two interesting names included.
Broncos fullback Michael Burton and wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey both made the depth chart despite currently being on the 17-player practice squad. That’s likely a good sign that they will be elevated to the game-day roster for Sunday’s showdown with the Seattle Seahawks.
So, what would the depth chart look like if all of the practice squad players were included? And how about the injured players who could return later this year? You can check out our projection below.
Keep in mind that this is a projection — not an official depth chart.
Broncos offensive depth chart
WR
Josh Reynolds
Marvin Mims
Troy Franklin
[Michael Bandy]
LT
Garett Bolles
Matt Peart
LG
Ben Powers
[Will Sherman]
[Nick Gargiulo]
C
Luke Wattenberg
Alex Forsyth
RG
Quinn Meinerz
[Calvin Throckmorton]
RT
Mike McGlinchey
Frank Crum
Alex Palczewski
TE
Adam Trautman
Greg Dulcich
Lucas Krull
[Donald Parham]
[Thomas Yassmin]
WR
Courtland Sutton
[Lil’Jordan Humphrey]
Devaughn Vele
[David Sills]
RB
Javonte Williams
Jaleel McLaughlin
Audric Estime
Blake Watson
[Tyler Badie]
FB
[Michael Burton]
Nate Adkins
QB
Bo Nix
Jarrett Stidham
Zach Wilson
Broncos defensive depth chart
DE
Zach Allen
Jordan Jackson
[Matt Henningsen]
NT
D.J. Jones
Malcolm Roach
[Jordan Miller]
DE
John Franklin-Myers
Eyioma Uwazurike
SLB
Jonathon Cooper
Jonah Elliss
[Dondrea Tillman]
WLB
Baron Browning
Nik Bonitto
ILB
Alex Singleton
[Drew Sanders]
Justin Strnad
ILB
Cody Barton
Kristian Welch
[Levelle Bailey]
LCB
Pat Surtain
Levi Wallace
Tremon Smith
RCB
Riley Moss
[Damarri Mathis]
[Quinton Newsome]
[Reese Taylor]
NCB
Ja’Quan McMillian
Kris Abrams-Draine
[Tanner McCalister]
S
P.J. Locke
JL Skinner
[Delarrin Turner-Yell]
S
Brandon Jones
Devon Key
Keidron Smith
Broncos special teams depth chart
PK
Wil Lutz
KO
Wil Lutz
P
Riley Dixon
H
Riley Dixon
LS
Mitchell Fraboni
KR
Marvin Mims
Tremon Smith
Jaleel McLaughlin
PR
Marvin Mims
Tremon Smith
The Broncos will face the Seahawks in Week 1 of the season on Sunday, Sept. 8. Denver is considered a 5.5-point underdog on the road.
The Broncos released their Week 1 depth chart on Wednesday. Bo Nix, of course, is listed as the starting quarterback. Jarrett Stidham is listed as the backup quarterback with Wilson listed as QB3.
The depth chart was not released until after Wednesday’s practice, so Payton has not yet commented on the team’s QB depth chart. He was asked if cornerback Riley Moss would be listed as a starter and the coach was not willing to play ball.
“We haven’t named any starters,” Payton said. “We kind of have an idea as we’re going. No announcements. You know how it is during a game week. I’m not going to talk about injuries. I’m not going to talk about lineups, with respect.”
So that’s that. Payton is scheduled to meet the media again on Friday, but judging from Wednesday’s comment, it’s probably safe to assume he won’t have much to say about the team’s backup quarterback depth chart.
Wilson and Stidham are both scheduled to become free agents in 2025. Wilson surely has more long-term upside, but Denver’s going with Stidham as the primary backup going into the 2024 campaign.
