5 surprises (and explanations) from Broncos' initial 53-man roster

The Denver Broncos made 38 roster moves this weekend to reach an initial 53-man roster for the 2026 NFL season.

Going into their preseason finale, the Broncos only had one or two roster spots truly up for grabs, general manager George Paton explained in his post-cuts press conference on Sunday evening.

“Typically you look at the body of work,” Paton said when asked how much the preseason finale influenced the final 53. “This is kind of the cherry on top, that last preseason game. We had a number of guys play well, whether it’s Jordan Jackson or… I don’t think it impacted a lot of these guys as it would in a lot of years. We were pretty set on where we were. We were probably at 55 or 54 before the last game, and maybe it just tweaked a little.

Denver fans were surprised by a few of Sunday’s cuts, but there are explanations for all of them. Let’s dive in.

1. Broncos cut FB Adam Prentice: It’s a surprising cut because Prentice was a reliable fullback for Denver last season, and he just scored two touchdowns in preseason. There’s a simple explanation, though. As a vested veteran, Prentice will not hit the NFL’s waiver wire, so the Broncos are not risking losing him to another club. Prentice is expected to be signed to the practice squad, and his 2026 salary will not be guaranteed if he’s not on the Week 1 active roster. Denver can elevate Prentice to the game-day roster up to three times from the practice squad, and he’s expected to eventually be fully promoted to the active roster.

2. Broncos cut RB Jaleel McLaughlin: Denver ended up carrying four running backs, but McLaughlin did not make it, losing out to Tyler Badie for the RB4 job. Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise after Badie previously beat out McLaughlin for RB3 duties last summer. McLaughlin is arguably a more talented runner, but Badie plays important roles on special teams, and he is a skilled pass blocker. “]W]ithout getting into details, it was a really hard decision,” Paton said. “Obviously, special teams are involved, third-down ability. There’s a lot involved, but that was probably the last decision we made, this fourth runner.”

3. Broncos cut TE Justin Joly: The fifth-round draft pick struggled to make an impact during preseason (until a busted coverage allowed an 88-yard touchdown in the preseason finale). Had he been a seventh-round pick or undrafted free agent, Joly being cut wouldn’t have been a surprise based on his performance. But we assumed his draft position made him safe. Denver’s roster is too deep for Paton to think that way. “We knew he was raw,” Paton said. “We still like the player. He was coming on towards the end of training camp. Tight end position is a tough position for a rookie. He missed a lot of the offseason, just a little bit behind. We wish we had another game or two. We still like the player. We think he’s going to have a nice career. You just have to make tough decisions to build the best 53 you can make.” The Broncos, of course, will try to re-sign Joly to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

4. Broncos cut LB Red Murdock: “Mr. Irrelevant” flashed in preseason, racking up tackles, but Denver opted to go with Karene Reid and Jordan Turner as the backup inside linebackers. Murdock, like Joly, will be a priority practice squad target if he clears waivers later today.

5. Broncos cut both of their long snappers: Denver cut incumbent starter Mitchell Fraboni and undrafted rookie Luke Basso. Fraboni is a vested veteran, so he won’t have to clear the NFL’s waiver wire. That will allow the Broncos to re-sign him to the practice squad, and Fraboni can be elevated to the game-day roster up to three times. Eventually, Fraboni will be fully promoted to the active roster, but beginning the season on the practice squad gives Denver more flexibility. The Broncos did the same thing with Prentice.

After waiver claims are processed, NFL teams can begin building their practice squads. Denver will build a 17-player practice squad, and they already have an international pass rusher lined up among their early signings.

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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 5 surprises (and explanations) from Broncos’ initial 53-man roster