Tag: Jonas Griffith

Broncos ‘still working on’ injury settlement with Jonas Griffith

Sean Payton said the Broncos would “do right” by Jonas Griffith with a settlement on Sept. 2. That settlement is still being finalized.

The Denver Broncos are “still working on” finalizing an injury settlement with former linebacker Jonas Griffith, according to a report from the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson.

When the Broncos cut Griffith in August, they did not give him an injury designation. Shortly thereafter, Griffith announced that he needed to undergo surgery on the same ACL that he injured with Denver in 2023.

Broncos coach Sean Payton has said the team will “do right” by Griffith by retroactively giving him an injury settlement. The details of that settlement are apparently yet to be finalized.

“We’re going to certainly do right by the player and take care of him,” Payton said on Sept. 2. “He’s someone that’s busted his tail here for the better part of two years trying to stay healthy.”

Denver reached an injury settlement with rookie outside linebacker Jaylon Allen on Aug. 14. Tomasson reports that Allen’s settlement was worth “about $3,000.” Allen (ankle) is now a free agent and once healthy, he might be a candidate to return to the Broncos on the practice squad.

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Broncos will ‘do right by’ LB Jonas Griffith with injury settlement

The Broncos will “do right” by Jonas Griffith and give him an injury settlement for his ACL surgery, coach Sean Payton said Monday.

When the Denver Broncos cut linebacker Jonas Griffith last week, he was not given an injury designation, implying that he was healthy. Three days after being released, though, Griffith announced that he needs to undergo ACL surgery on the same knee he injured last summer.

The Broncos are not retroactively placing Griffith on injured reserve, but coach Sean Payton said Monday that the team will “do right by” the linebacker through an injury settlement.

“This is tough,” Payton said. “[It’s] tough on him and tough on everyone. He went through the process of being released and then what’s a little bit unusual in his post-exam, they discovered more of an issue with his ACL. It wasn’t one event specific. In the end, there will be an injury settlement which is pretty common.

“What isn’t common is finishing the [pre]season playing like he did and then discovering that this is a little bit more significant than we thought. We’re going to certainly do right by the player and take care of him. He’s someone that’s busted his tail here for the better part of two years trying to stay healthy.”

Griffith missed eight games with a foot injury in 2022 and all of last season with a torn ACL. The 27-year-old linebacker totaled 92 tackles, five quarterback hits, one interception, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup in 22 games (12 starts) in Denver.

After reaching an injury settlement with the Broncos, Griffith will be a free agent, but he seems likely to miss the 2024 season following ACL surgery.

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Ex-Broncos LB Jonas Griffith undergoing ACL surgery

After being waived by the Broncos, linebacker Jonas Griffith will now undergo ACL surgery and miss the 2024 season.

Former Denver Broncos inside linebacker Jonas Griffith is set to undergo ACL surgery on the same knee he injured last summer.

The 27-year-old free agent announced the news on his Instagram page on Friday evening. From the linebacker himself:

As I prepare for my 2nd ACL surgery on the same knee in the last year part of me questions, “why would this happen to me again?” and the other part of me knows that God wouldn’t give me anything in life that I couldn’t handle.

I’m heartbroken, angry and confused especially knowing I didn’t skip any steps during my recovery to get to this point. I also know that my story with football is far from over and I will be a better me because of this challenge. I am healthy(for the most part) I have so much love in my corner and I’m alive! There’s still so much to be thankful for and there are others going through more difficult things! Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers 🙏🏾🤞🏾

Griffith was waived by the Broncos on Tuesday without an injury designation. The team is now “expected to retroactively place Griffith on season-ending injured reserve,” according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Griffith totaled 92 tackles in 22 games (12 starts) in Denver from 2021-2022 before missing all of last season with a torn ACL. He will now miss the 2024 season. If placed on the team’s IR list, Griffith will receive support from the Broncos while recovering from his latest surgery.

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Jonas Griffith a candidate to re-join Broncos after recovering from injury

Jonas Griffith is a potential candidate to re-join the Broncos in a few weeks after he’s recovered from an injury, according to 9News.

Former Denver Broncos linebacker Jonas Griffith is currently recovering from an injury and could be a candidate to re-join the team in “a couple weeks” once he’s healthy, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Griffith (6-4, 250 pounds) was a surprise cut on Tuesday when the Broncos finalized their 53-man roster. He originally landed in Denver in 2021 via trade from the San Francisco 49ers.

Griffith totaled 92 tackles, five quarterback hits, one interception, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup in 22 games (12 starts) with the Broncos from 2021-2022. He missed 25 games due to injuries over the last two years, including all of last season with a torn ACL.

Denver is set to start Alex Singleton and Cody Barton at inside linebacker this year. The team also brought back special teams ace Justin Strnad and they added Kristian Welch to the roster on Thursday.

Just as they did last year, the Broncos are now set to go into the 2024 NFL season with four inside linebackers on the active roster. We’ll see if Griffith returns later this year.

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Broncos sign linebacker Kristian Welch to 53-man roster

The Broncos have signed linebacker Kristian Welch to their 53-man roster. He has played 1,101 career snaps on special teams.

The Denver Broncos signed inside linebacker Kristian Welch to their 53-man roster on Thursday, the team announced.

To make room for Welch, Denver waived undrafted rookie linebacker Levelle Bailey. If he clears waivers, Bailey will presumably be a candidate to re-sign on the practice squad tomorrow (there’s one open spot remaining).

As for Welch, he is a fourth-year linebacker who entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa in 2020. After spending the first three years of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, Welch joined the Green Bay Packers last summer, initially on their practice squad.

Welch was later promoted to Green Bay’s active roster and he dressed for 14 games last fall, totaling six tackles. He has 27 career tackles in four seasons (57 games) in the NFL. Welch was likely signed primarily to contribute on special teams, where he has 1,101 career snaps.

Welch becomes the fourth inside linebacker on the 53-man roster, joining Alex Singleton, Cody Barton and Justin Strnad.

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Broncos officially announce 15 practice squad signings

The Broncos have officially announced 15 practice squad signings. With TE Donald Parham still on the way, there will be one spot left.

The Denver Broncos officially announced their first 15 practice squad signings on Wednesday afternoon. All 15 players competed with the team during preseason this summer.

Here are the official signings:

  1. RB Tyler Badie
  2. WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
  3. WR Michael Bandy
  4. WR David Sills
  5. TE Thomas Yassmin
  6. FB Michael Burton
  7. OL Will Sherman
  8. OL Nick Garguilo
  9. OL Calvin Throckmorton
  10. DT Jordan Miller
  11. DL Matt Henningsen
  12. OLB Dondrea Tillman
  13. CB Reese Taylor
  14. DB Quinton Newsome
  15. DB Tanner McCalister

The Broncos are also working to sign former Los Angeles Chargers tight end Donald Parham, but that move is not yet official. Once the Parham deal is signed, Denver will have one spot left on the 17-player practice squad.

That spot is presumably being held for linebacker Jonas Griffith, who was a surprise cut on Tuesday. Griffith is “sorting through his options,” according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Re-signing with the Broncos’ practice squad is still in play, but Griffith has not decided yet.

We will be tracking updates for the final two spots on Broncos Wire.

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Broncos’ practice squad is almost complete

The Broncos have two open spots left on their practice squad. Candidates include Calvin Throckmorton, Jonas Griffith and Oliver Jervis.

Story update: The Broncos announced that Calvin Throckmorton signed with the practice squad on Wednesday. There is now one spot remaining. See our original post below. 

After setting a 53-man roster on Tuesday, the Denver Broncos are now building a 17-player practice squad.

The Broncos managed to bring back veteran wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey and fullback Michael Burton after releasing them yesterday. Denver also re-signed seventh-round draft pick Nick Gargiulo and ex-UFL pass rusher Dondrea Tillman, and the team landed ex-Los Angeles Chargers tight end Donald Parham.

Those signings were big wins. The Broncos also had a few losses.

Denver wanted to bring back wide receivers Brandon Johnson and Jalen Virgil, but they opted to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills, respectively. So the Broncos signed Michael Bandy and David Sills instead.

Denver now has two spots remaining on the practice squad. One of them is being reserved for offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton, if he’s interested. If Throckmorton chooses to sign elsewhere, fellow lineman Oliver Jervis is a fallback option, according to the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson.

The other spot is probably being held for linebacker Jonas Griffith, who is “sorting through his options,” according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

While we wait for the final two deals, here’s the list of not-yet-official practice squad signings for the Broncos:

  1. RB Tyler Badie
  2. WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
  3. WR Michael Bandy
  4. WR David Sills
  5. TE Donald Parham
  6. TE Thomas Yassmin
  7. FB Michael Burton
  8. OL Will Sherman
  9. OL Nick Garguilo
  10. DT Jordan Miller
  11. DL Matt Henningsen
  12. OLB Dondrea Tillman
  13. CB Reese Taylor
  14. DB Quinton Newsome
  15. DB Tanner McCalister

We are tracking all of Denver’s roster moves today on Broncos Wire.

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5 surprises from Broncos’ initial 53-man roster

The Broncos set their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday. We were surprised by these cuts.

After making 30 roster moves, the Denver Broncos announced their initial 53-man roster for the 2024 NFL season on Tuesday afternoon. Here’s a quick list of five surprises from the first draft of the active roster (a few players could be added and dropped in the coming days).

1. FB Michael Burton cut: There was no indication this summer that Burton was in danger of not making the team, so it was a surprise when he was among the final cuts on Tuesday. Making the move less surprising is the fact that Denver plans to re-sign him to the practice squad, and he could be elevated to the active roster ahead of Week 1.

2. WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey cut: After the Broncos waived Brandon Johnson, we assumed that meant Humphrey was safe as the sixth WR. Instead, Denver opted to carry five WRs. The Broncos hope to re-sign Humphrey to the practice squad, though, and he could be another player elevated to the game-day roster in Week 1.

3. OT Frank Crum made the team: Crum struggled in preseason, so we expected Denver to drop him down to the practice squad during roster cuts. The Broncos did not want to risk losing him, though, which is understandable. So Crum makes the squad with plenty of room to grow.

4. LB Jonas Griffith cut: We didn’t see this coming, but maybe we should have after coach name-dropped undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey as a player competing for a starting spot way back in June. After grabbing a 94-yard pick-six in Denver’s preseason finale, Bailey made the team and the Broncos parted ways with Griffith to make room.

5. WR Tim Patrick cut: Patrick missed each of the last two seasons with injury, but he took a massive pay cut this spring and looked good during preseason. Patrick was a team leader and a key part of the locker room, so we assumed his spot was safe. Denver had a crowded WR room, though, and Payton seemingly wanted to go younger at the position. The team did try to trade Patrick but wasn’t able to get a deal done, leading to his release.

Up next for the Broncos are waiver claims on Wednesday morning, followed by practice squad signings. We will track every move on Broncos Wire.

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Broncos waive LB Jonas Griffith in surprise roster cut

The Broncos have waived inside linebacker Jonas Griffith, which presumably means undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey has made the squad.

The Denver Broncos have waived inside linebacker Jonas Griffith in a surprise move, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Griffith (6-4, 250 pounds) joined the Broncos in 2021 when the team acquired him in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers. Griffith appeared in 13 games in his first season in Denver, earning four starts.

Griffith then started eight games in 2022 before suffering a season-ending foot injury. After that, he missed the entire 2023 season with a torn ACL.

Griffith totaled 92 tackles, five quarterback hits, one interception, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup in 22 games (12 starts) with the Broncos. The 27-year-old linebacker will now hit the waiver wire. If he clears waivers, Griffith might be a candidate to return to Denver on the practice squad.

On the 53-man roster, the Broncos are moving forward with Alex Singleton, Cody Barton, Justin Strnad and undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey at inside linebacker. Bailey recorded a 94-yard pick-six in the team’s preseason finale.

We are tracking all of Denver’s roster moves on Broncos Wire.

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Bo Nix’s speed surprised Broncos defenders at training camp

“I didn’t realize how fast he was,” Broncos linebacker Jonas Griffith said of rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

Denver Broncos defenders have been full of praise for quarterback Bo Nix this summer, with many players noting the rookie’s intelligence and composure. Nix brings more than just smarts to the position, though. He is a talented athlete who rushed for 1,613 yards and 38 touchdowns in college.

“I didn’t realize how fast he was,” Broncos linebacker Jonas Griffith said after practice on Tuesday. “It’s kind of crazy because he had a scramble and he was running a few days ago, I was like, ‘Wow, he’s kind of fast.’ I consider myself a fast guy. He’s not as fast as me, but he’s pretty fast.”

That speed should prove to be useful for Nix in a Payton offense that previously utilized Taysom Hill’s rushing ability with the New Orleans Saints.

As for Griffith, he’s back on the field this summer after missing half of the 2022 season with an ankle injury and all of the 2023 campaign with a torn ACL. He’ll make his return to game action when the Broncos take on the Indianapolis Colts in their preseason opener on Sunday.

“I am going to feel like a kid on Christmas Day,” Griffith said. “It’s been 18 months since I played and put on a jersey on, so I’m just thankful. I’m excited to have the opportunity to strap it up again.”

Griffith is competing with Cody Barton for a starting inside linebacker job this summer. The battle will be decided during preseason.

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