Nine ex-Broncos players will be involved in the NFL’s conference championship games this weekend.
The NFL’s conference title games this weekend will feature nine former Denver Broncos players.
First up is the NFC Championship game at 1:00 p.m. MT on Sunday, Jan. 26. That matchup features the Washington Commanders taking on the Philadelphia Eagles. The Commanders have backup quarterback Jeff Driskel and international defensive lineman Haggai Ndubuisi (on reserve).
After that, the AFC Championship game is set for 4:30 p.m. MT on Sunday, Jan. 26. That game will feature the Buffalo Bills facing the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City’s offense features running back Samaje Perine and receiver/returner Montrell Washington (on the practice squad).
The Bills have quite a collection of former Broncos, headlined by pass rusher Von Miller. Buffalo also employs punter Sam Martin, receiver KJ Hamler (practice squad), safety Kareem Jackson (practice squad) and receiver Jalen Virgil (practice squad).
No matter which two teams advance on Sunday, at least two ex-Broncos will suit up for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans in Feb. 9.
The Commanders have listed seven players for tonight’s playoff game against the Lions.
K.J. Osborn
QB Jeff Driskel (Emergency Quarterback)
CB Michael Davis
RB Chris Rodriguez
LB Dominique Hampton
DE Andre Jones, Jr
G Chris Paul
Brian Robinson has been ineffective in recent games, raising concerns if he is playing injured. Yet Chris Rodriguez who has been more effective than Robinson is again inactive.
The Commanders announced they had elevated Jones earlier in the day, so it is surprising they then determined to leave him as inactive.
TE Ben Sinnott apparently has recovered from his injury last week against the Bucs. This means the Commanders are dressing Sinnott and Colson Yankoff tonight.
This is the second consecutive week Davis has been inactive. The Commanders again this week are choosing CB Kevon Seymour over Davis.
Osborn is again inactive and must be disappointed, having played with the Vikings in the playoffs previously. But, this is big business and the coaches are choosing to play those they believe will give them the best shot at winning.
Hampton, a rookie out of the U of Washington, has been active only one game this season. Adam Peters and Dan Quinn having drafted Hampton, no doubt would like to play him. However they again don’t feel it is the best move for the team.
Which players are in for the Commanders in Week 17? Who is out? The Week 17 inactive list is here.
The Washington Commanders, in preparation for their matchup against the Atlanta Falcons at Northwest Stadium Sunday, released their final list of inactive players ahead of kickoff. Seven Commanders will be unavailable for tonight’s game:
Marshon Lattimore– is rehabbing that nagging hamstring he reinjured against the Eagles last week. Lattimore has been limited to playing in nine of the 16 games in 2024.
Andrew Wylie– injured his groin against the Eagles. Wylie has appeared in 13 of the 16 games this season. Cornelius Lucas will start in his place.
Dyami Brown–strained a hamstring against the Eagles. This is the first game Brown has missed in 2024. Can the Commanders find enough receivers to stretch the Falcons defense?
Jordan Magee– injured a hamstring. Injured in the preseason, Magee has appeared in eight games thus far in 2024.
Tyler Owens– has an ankle injury. He has been good for the Commanders on kick and punt coverage teams this year. Owens has played in 12 games this season.
Jeff Driskel– will be the emergency third quarterback against the Falcons. Driskel has appeared in one game in 2024.
Dominique Hampton–is the only draft choice who has yet to play in a game during the 2024 season. Maybe next week for Hampton.
The Broncos lead the all-time series against the Buccaneers 7-3.
The Denver Broncos head into their Week 3 matchup in Florida against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looking to improve their 0-2 record.
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix is seeking his first passing touchdown of the season, and the Denver offense looks to kickstart against a very difficult Bucs defense that defeated the reigning NFC champion Detroit Lions in Week 2.
These two teams have met ten times prior, and the Broncos have dominated the all-time series 7-3.
The Bucs and Broncos last met during the COVID-19-affected season in 2020. Denver featured two quarterbacks during the game, Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien against future Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Brady.
Broncos quarterbacks went a combined 25-of-39 passing for 229 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, while Brady went 25-of-38 for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Denver lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions, 28-10.
Before that, the Broncos defeated the Bucs 27-7 in 2016.
Denver will look to right the ship of the past two games and find its offensive rhythm against Tampa Bay in the first of a two-game road trip this weekend.
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.
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, has been named the team’s starter ahead of the 2024 NFL season. He 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.
A former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback has joined the Washington Commanders via free agency.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jeff Driskel inked a deal with Washington, joining a depth chart that includes Marcus Maritoa after the trade of Sam Howell — a depth chart that might see more changes very soon.
Driskel was a waiver claim by the Bengals in 2016 and eventually made his debut with the team in 2018, replacing an injured Andy Dalton.
Funny enough, after bouncing around with a few different teams starting in 2019, Driskel actually started for the Cleveland Browns against the Bengals in last season’s finale, with the Browns resting starters en route to the playoffs.
The Commanders now have three quarterbacks on the roster.
Washington general manager Adam Peters added another veteran quarterback to the roster on Monday, signing Jeff Driskel the day before the Commanders open the offseason program.
Washington now has three quarterbacks on the roster, as Driskel joins Marcus Mariota (signed last month) and Jake Fromm. The Commanders are expected to select a quarterback at No. 2 overall in this month’s 2024 NFL draft.
Driskel, who will turn 31 this month, has been in the NFL since 2016, when he entered the league as an undrafted free agent from Louisiana Tech. Before his lone season at Louisiana Tech, Driskel spent four seasons at the University of Florida, where he started on and off for his final three seasons.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Driskel was a sixth-round pick of the 49ers in 2016, which was Peters’ first season there. San Francisco waived him during final cuts, and he was claimed by the Cincinnati Bengals. He spent two years with the Bengals, some of which he was injured, but he did start the final five games of the 2018 season.
The Bengals waived Driskel, and the Detroit Lions claimed him. He started three games for the Lions in 2019 and finished the season on injured reserve. He spent the 2020 season with the Denver Broncos, appearing in three games and making one start. After the Broncos waived him in May, he signed with the Houston Texans.
Driskel played for the Texans for two seasons, playing in eight games with one start. He spent most of the 2023 season on the Arizona Cardinals practice squad before he was signed to the Cleveland Browns’ 53-man roster in December. He would start in Cleveland’s regular-season finale.
For his career, Driskel has appeared in 24 games with 12 starts. He was one career win as a starting quarterback, completing 229 of his 391 passing attempts (58.6%) for 2,394 yards (6.4 YPA), with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has rushed for 417 yards and three touchdowns.
Driskel was likely signed as an extra quarterback for the offseason program in training camp. Once Washington drafts a quarterback, Driskel isn’t likely to make the roster, or he’ll compete with Fromm for the Commanders’ third quarterback position.
Journeyman backup QB Jeff Driskel estimates that he spent 140 nights away from his family and 85 nights in hotels during the 2023 season.
Being a quarterback in the NFL is a job that countless Americans would love to have, but it’s not always as glamorous as fans might think.
Jeff Driskel took to social media last week to detail the bumpy ride he had as a journeyman backup quarterback during the 2023 season.
“Year 8 in the Books,” Driskel wrote on his Twitter/X page. “Enjoyed the time with both the Cardinals and the Browns. Professional sports is the best career in the world but has its challenges to say the least. The journey is what makes it special! Here’s a quick recap of the season by some numbers:
Signed: 4 Cut: 2 Tryouts: 2 AirBnB Rented: 2 Houses Crashed at: 1 Nights Away Family: Approx 140 Nights in a Hotel: Approx 85 SMB Acquired: 1 (will get more into this later)
There’s always challenges, but it was a blast. Thankful to still be able to play at the highest level
Driskel has spent time with seven NFL teams since entering the league in 2016. He played for the Denver Broncos in 2020, starting one game when the team had injuries at the position. Driskel completed 54.7% of his passes for 432 yards with three touchdowns against two interceptions in Denver.
Driskel has dressed for 24 games since 2018, starting half of them. Now entering his ninth year as a pro, Driskel is scheduled to become a free agent in March. He will turn 31 in April.
The Browns officially have a new backup quarterback.
Jeff Driskel got the start for the Cleveland Browns over P.J. Walker a week ago and has done enough to win the backup quarterback job entering the postseason.
Speaking to the media today as the team prepares to take on the Houston Texans in the wild-card round, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Driskel will be Cleveland’s backup quarterback.
In the Week 18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Driskel went 13-of-26 for 166 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was sacked three times on the day as well. Both of his touchdowns were to wide receiver David Bell in the fourth quarter.
Having started five quarterbacks this season, the Browns will hope to have way more health in the playoffs and just stick it out with Joe Flacco as they look to make a run at the first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.