Chiefs elevate practice squad WR ahead of Week 8 matchup vs. Raiders

The Kansas City #Chiefs elevated WR Montrell Washington from their practice squad on Saturday.

The Kansas City Chiefs elevated wide receiver Montrell Washington to their 53-man roster from the practice squad on Saturday, October 27 ahead of their Week 8 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Washington has been an on-and-off member of Kansas City’s roster since last season, when he initially joined the Chiefs on August 31, 2023.

He was waived by Kansas City earlier this year when training camp concluded but quickly re-signed to the Chiefs’ practice squad.

Though he is now a member of Kansas City’s 53-man roster, it is likely that Washington will be sent back to the practice squad after the Chiefs’ matchup against the Raiders on Sunday.

 

Don’t expect Washington to be a key part of Andy Reid’s game plan for Las Vegas, especially given Kansas City’s acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins earlier this week.

Stay tuned to see if Washington sees the field when the Chiefs take on the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Week 8.

Chiefs Dave Toub discusses options after Mecole Hardman misses Friday’s practice

Kansas City #Chiefs Dave Toub discusses options after Mecole Hardman misses Friday’s practice | @EdEastonJr

The injuries are racking up on the offensive side of the ball for the Kansas City Chiefs, and it’s carrying over to the special teams unit.

Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub spoke with the media on Friday about the possibility of Mecole Hardman being unavailable for Monday night after missing practice due to a knee injury. He mentioned several names that could fill in this week as the kick and punt returner.

“We have a number of guys that can do it; obviously, Nikko (Remigio) can do it, (Montrell) Washington could do it. Any of those two guys could possibly pop up if Mecole (Hardman) was down,” said Toub, and then obviously, we have other guys, I mean, (Xavier) Worthy to be a punt returner, Skyy Moore, we have a lot of guys. We have a lot of options there. “

Remigio, named one of the first options on Toub’s list in case Hardman is unavailable on Monday, aligns with the praise he received during training camp. He is currently listed on the practice squad but could be in line for a call-up over the next few hours to fill the role.

Re-live Montrell Washington’s excellent reception vs. Bears

Take a look at this video of Montrell Washington’s outstanding catch in the #Chiefs’ preseason loss to the #Bears.

Montrell Washington isn’t a household name among Kansas City Chiefs fans, but his exceptional catch against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night should put him on the radars of football fanatics across Western Missouri.

Though he was held to just one reception in the game, he made it count and ended the matchup as Kansas City’s leading receiver. His efforts against Chicago were admirable and helped the Chiefs claw back from a steep second-half deficit, even if the Bears ultimately defeated Kansas City in the matchup.

Re-live Washington’s outstanding catch below in this video that was shared on Twitter by the Chiefs’ official account:

Washington remains a long shot to make Kansas City’s 53-man roster, but shouldn’t be overlooked for a spot on the Chiefs’ 16-player practice squad when Andy Reid and Brett Veach make their cuts next week.

If he can continue building on his impressive preseason performance against the Bears, Washington may soon become an impact player in Kansas City.

 

Chiefs highlight young receivers in latest training camp hype video

The Kansas City #Chiefs showcased their new-look receiving corps in a hype video that was posted to social media platforms on Thursday.

The Kansas City Chiefs made the wide receiver position their top priority during the 2024 offseason after a dismal performance by their pass-catchers last year.

Now, with speedsters Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Xavier Worthy on their depth chart behind presumptive No. 1 option Rashee Rice, the team is ready to put the league on notice with a new-look air attack that promises to bring high-scoring football back to Kansas City this season.

In a video posted to social media channels on Thursday, the Chiefs sought to generate hype about their receiving corps by showcasing some of the top plays made by their wideouts during training camp.

Lesser-known contributors like Justyn Ross, Nikko Remigio, and Montrell Washington made appearances beside Brown, Worthy, and Rice in the clip, setting the stage for Kansas City’s preseason, where the Chiefs’ pass catchers will fight for a spot on the team’s roster.

Keep your eye on all of Kansas City’s wideouts to see who makes the team’s 53-man roster ahead of the 2024 regular season.

3 former Broncos players involved in the Super Bowl

The 49ers have two former Broncos: DE Randy Gregory and QB Brandon Allen. The Chiefs have practice squad WR Montrell Washington.

Three former Denver Broncos players have reached the Super Bowl, but only one of them is expected to play.

The San Francisco 49ers have two former Broncos on their roster — pass rusher Randy Gregory and backup quarterback Brandon Allen.

Gregory totaled three sacks in 10 games (2022-’23) before Denver traded him to San Francisco in exchange for a late-round draft pick in October. He has recorded 2.5 sacks in 14 games with the 49ers (including the playoffs). Gregory is expected to serve as a rotational pass rusher on Sunday.

Allen played for the Broncos in 2019, going 1-2 as a fill-in starter when the team had injuries at quarterback. Before landing in San Francisco, Allen was a backup with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2020-’22. Barring an emergency, Allen won’t play in Super Bowl LVIII.

The Kansas City Chiefs also have an ex-Denver player, but he’s on the practice squad: wide receiver Montrell Washington. The former fifth-round pick lasted just one season with the Broncos before being cut. Washington joined Kansas City’s practice squad in August and he spent six games on the active roster this season before returning to the practice squad.

In addition to Gregory and Allen, the 49ers also have two coaches who used to play for Denver: quarterbacks coach Brian Griese and assistant head coach Anthony Lynn. Additionally, San Francisco general manager John Lynch played safety for the Broncos, and running backs coach Bobby Turner formerly held that same role in Denver.

The 49ers also have three sons of former Broncos: head coach Kyle Shanahan (son of Mike), running back Christian McCaffrey (son of Ed) and assistant QBs coach Klay Kubiak (son of Gary). Their fathers won back-to-back Super Bowls in Denver in the late 1990s.

6 players cut by Broncos signing with new teams

The Chiefs are expected to sign ex-Broncos receiver/returner Montrell Washington to their practice squad.

Five players who were cut by the Denver Broncos earlier this week have found new homes, including one landing with a division rival.

After being released on Tuesday, kicker Brett Maher has signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Maher will now get a fresh start in L.A. after the Broncos brought in Wil Lutz through a trade with the New Orleans Saints.

Meanwhile, running back Tony Jones is expected to land on the practice squad of the New Orleans Saints, where he played from 2020-2022.

Elsewhere, the Minnesota Vikings are signing ex-Broncos offensive lineman Henry Byrd to their practice squad, and the Atlanta Falcons signed ex-Denver offensive lineman Isaiah Prince to their active roster.

Finally, the fifth and most disconcerting signing: the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to sign former Broncos receiver/returner Montrell Washington to their practice squad. Washington eventually making KC’s active roster and burning Denver would be quite a disappointing development for Broncos Country.

Update: Another ex-Bronco WR is signing with a division rival — the Las Vegas Raiders are adding Marquez Callaway to their practice squad.

Broncos cut WR Montrell Washington, last year’s 5th-round pick

The Broncos are cutting receiver/returner Montrell Washington, who as a fifth-round pick in 2022.

The Denver Broncos are waiving wide receiver Montrell Washington, Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette first reported on Tuesday morning.

Washington (5-10, 170 pounds) was picked by the Broncos in the fifth round of last year’s NFL draft out of Samford. He began his rookie season as Denver’s return specialist but struggled to make a positive impact on special teams.

Washington returned 32 punts for 271 yards (averaging 8.5 yards per P return) and 18 kickoffs for 340 yards (averaging 18.9 yards per KO return). He had a minimal role on offense with five rushes for 30 yards and four receptions for two yards.

After fumbling five times, Washington was benched for the final two games of the 2022 season when Jerry Rosburg took over as interim head coach.

If he clears waivers, Washington will likely be a candidate to return on the practice squad. Meanwhile, second-round pick Marvin Mims now appears poised to handle return duties in 2023.

We are tracking all of the Broncos’ roster cuts on this page.

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Broncos ST coach Ben Kotwica eager to track Montrell Washington’s progress this summer

“I love his work ethic,” Ben Kotwica said of returner Montrell Washington. “He’s always asking questions and wants to be out on the field.”

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After being picked by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of last year’s NFL draft out of Samford, return specialist Montrell Washington struggled to make an impact as a rookie.

Washington averaged 8.5 yards per punt return and 18.9 yards per kickoff return through 15 games last year before being benched by interim coach Jerry Rosburgh for the final two games of the season.

The Broncos now have a new head coach in Sean Payton and a new special teams coach in Ben Kotwica, giving Washington an opportunity to make a good impression with a fresh start.

“There are a couple things about Montrell. First off, I love his work ethic,” Kotwica said when asked about the returner on June 14. “He’s always asking questions and wants to be out on the field. Under the parameters that we have, we can’t be out there all day, but he is a player that would be out there all day [if allowed]. We’ve talked to him about that.

“He has that athletic ability. I think it’s continuing to [show] confidence in the player. I’m excited about where it will take him during training camp.”

Washington ran a 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds last spring, but his speed did not directly correlate to success in the NFL. He fumbled five times as a rookie, and following the arrival of second-round pick Marvin Mims, Washington won’t be a lock to make the 53-man roster this summer.

Washington will get an opportunity to redeem himself, though, and if he looks good during camp and preseason, he can earn a spot for 2023.

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Broncos’ projected WR depth chart after the NFL draft

Here is our projected wide receiver depth chart for the Broncos following the NFL draft.

WR1 WR2 WR3 WR4
Tim Patrick Jerry Jeudy Courtland Sutton Marvin Mims
Brandon Johnson Jalen Virgil Marquez Callaway  Kendall Hinton
Lil’Jordan Humphrey Taylor Grimes Dallas Daniels KJ Hamler
Montrell Washington

After the Denver Broncos traded up in the second round of the NFL draft to select Marvin Mims last week, we have a new wide receiver depth chart projection.

Barring a trade, Patrick, Jeudy, Sutton and Mims all seem to be locks. Callaway, Virgil, Hinton and Johnson also seemingly have strong odds to make the team, but Denver will run out of roster spots.

Last year, the Broncos carried six wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster. If they do that again in 2023, Callaway, Virgil, Hinton and Johnson could all be competing for the final two spots.

Right now, Hamler and Washington seem to be in danger of not making the team following the arrival of Mims, a speedy deep threat who provides a spark as a returner. Humphrey and undrafted free agents Grimes and Daniels will also face long odds to make the active roster.

A lot can change between now and the end of training camp, and the possibility of a WR trade will linger given that Denver has so much depth at the position. For now, though, the above depth chart breaks down how we see the Broncos’ current WR room.

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Broncos made big changes on special teams this offseason

The Broncos brought in a new ST coordinator and an assistant HC with a ST background and made changes at punter, returner and long snapper.

Last year, the Denver Broncos’ special teams units were nothing special. Let’s go over some of the “highlights” from 2022.

Not only did they lead the league in punts (96), kicker Brandon McManus also missed the most field goals in a season of his career (8) and rookie return specialist Montrell Washington fumbled five times.

Suffice it to say, the Broncos are in major need of a special teams makeover. During free agency, Denver signed punter Riley Dixon, who returns to the Broncos after most recently playing for the Los Angeles Rams. After signing Dixon, they released Corliss Waitman, who, despite leading the NFL in punts, had one of the shortest punts of the season among qualifying punters who booted at least 25 kicks (57 yards). Comparatively, Dixon’s longest punt in 2022 was 67 yards.

The Broncos also made a change at long snapper, letting Jacob Bobenmoyer walk in free agency. Mitchell Fraboni, who filled in for an injured Bobenmoyer in four games last year, now appears set to become the team’s full-time long snapper in 2023.

In addition, the Broncos also acquired cornerback Tremon Smith, who was a kick returner for the Houston Texans to compete with Washington as a specialist. Will this competition bring out the best in Washington? Or will Denver be looking for another returner in the draft?

This new-look special teams unit has some great potential. It would certainly be nice to rank near the bottom of the league in punts, and near the top of the NFL in return yards. With new special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica and new assistant head coach Mike Westhoff leading the charge, the Broncos should take a big step forward on special teams this fall.

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