As a result, Browning will be sidelined for at least the next four games. A foot injury kept the former third-rounder out of practice all week, and today’s move confirms an extended recovery process will be needed. His absence will leave Denver without a starter along the edge as the team looks to rebound from its 0-2 start.

Browning posted five sacks in 2022, his first season after transitioning from inside to outside linebacker. The Ohio State product was limited to 10 games last year, but his 4.5 sacks during that span showed his potential as a key figure in the Broncos’ edge rush setup. 2024 was set to be an important campaign for team and player, and as a pending free agent Browning will look to get back on the field as soon as possible.

In the meantime, 2021 seventh-rounder Jonathon Cooper, 2022 second-round selection Nik Bonitto and third-round rookie Jonah Elliss will be counted on for the Broncos along the edge. Bringing Browning back into the fold will use up one of the seven IR activations Denver has available. The 25-year-old’s rehab will be worth monitoring over the coming weeks.

To fill his roster spot, wideout Lil’Jordan Humphrey was promoted from the practice squad. One of several former Saints who made his way to the Mile High City to reunite with Payton, Humphrey bounced on and off the Broncos’ active roster last season. He was a gameday elevation for each of the first two weeks of the year, and the 26-year-old has logged a notable 52% snap share so far. It comes as no surprise he is now in position to handle a more permanent role on the roster.

Denver elevated running back Tyler Badie along with defensive back Tanner McCalister for tomorrow’s contest. Both could handle depth roles as the Broncos look to take a needed step forward on both sides of the ball in Week 3. Browning will not be in the picture for the foreseeable future, though.

Arizona Cardinals

• Elevated: T Jackson Barton

Baltimore Ravens

• Elevated: CB Ka’dar Hollman, RB John Kelly

Carolina Panthers

• Elevated: TE Feleipe Franks

Dallas Cowboys

• Elevated: TE Princeton Fant, LB Nick Vigil

Denver Broncos

• Elevated: RB Tyler Badie, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey

Detroit Lions

• Elevated: WR Tom Kennedy, WR Tim Patrick

Green Bay Packers

• Elevated: QB Sean Clifford

Houston Texans

• Elevated: CB D’Angelo Ross

Indianapolis Colts

• Elevated: DE Genard Avery, S Ronnie Harrison

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Elevated: CB Christian Braswell

Las Vegas Raiders

• Elevated: OLB K’Lavon Chaisson, CB Sam Webb

Los Angeles Chargers

• Elevated: S Tony Jefferson, LB Shaquille Quarterman

Minnesota Vikings

• Elevated: RB Myles Gaskin, DL Jonah Williams

New Orleans Saints

• Elevated: S Ugo Amadi, LB Isaiah Stalbird

New York Giants

• Elevated: LB Tomon Fox, LB Ty Summers
• Placed on IR: WR Gunner Olszewski

New York Jets

• Elevated: DE Jalyn Holmes

San Francisco 49ers

• Elevated: S Tracy Walker
• Placed on IR: RB Christian McCaffrey (story)

Seattle Seahawks

• Elevated: T McClendon Curtis, RB George Holani

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Elevated: DT C.J. Brewer, DL Mike Greene

Tennessee Titans

• Elevated: LB Luke Gifford

Washington Commanders

• Signed to active roster: LB Nick Bellore
• Elevated: CB Bobby Price, DE Carlos Watkins

Patrick was among the Broncos’ final roster cuts after a Saints trade was discussed. The 30-year-old missed the 2022 and ’23 campaigns due to ACL and Achilles tears, respectively. Patrick did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity, though, quickly landing a practice squad deal with the Lions. He is now positioned make his season debut tomorrow as a complementary option in Detroit’s passing attack.

Olszewski is dealing with a groin injury and he was known to be facing a long-term absence. Today’s move thus comes as no surprise, but it ensures at least a four-week absence. The former All-Pro scored a punt return touchdown with Pittsburgh early last season and added another during his 10-game Giants stretch to close out the year. The team will need to rely on other options in the return game for the time being.

Atlanta Falcons

• Elevated: WR Chris Blair, CB Kevin King

Buffalo Bills

• Elevated: OL Will Clapp, DE Kameron Cline

Chicago Bears

• Elevated: DE Byron Cowart, LS Scott Daly

Cincinnati Bengals

• Elevated: WR Kendric Pryor

Cleveland Browns

• Signed to active roster: WR Jaelon Darden
• Elevated: CB Mike Ford, T Germain Ifedi

Denver Broncos

• Elevated: FB Michael Burton, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey

Detroit Lions

• Signed to active roster: DE Chris Smith
• Elevated: WR Tom Kennedy, DT Kyle Peko

Indianapolis Colts

• Elevated: CB Chris Lammons, K Spencer Shrader

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Elevated: S Terrell Edmunds

Las Vegas Raiders

• Elevated: CB Sam Webb

Los Angeles Chargers

• Signed to active roster: TE Eric Tomlinson
• Elevated: LB Shaquille Quarterman

Los Angeles Rams

• Elevated: T AJ Arcuri

Miami Dolphins

• Elevated: WR Robbie Chosen

Minnesota Vikings

• Elevated: RB Myles Gaskin, S Bobby McCain

New England Patriots

• Elevated: DT Trysten Hill, G Michael Jordan

New Orleans Saints

• Elevated: LB Khaleke Hudson, DT Kendal Vickers

New York Giants

• Elevated: LB Carter Coughlin, LB Ty Summers
• Released: LB Curtis Bolton

Pittsburgh Steelers

• Elevated: WR Ben Skowronek
• Placed on IR: DT Logan Lee

Seattle Seahawks

• Elevated: S Marquise Blair, CB Artie Burns

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Elevated: DT C.J. Brewer, DL Mike Greene

Tennessee Titans

• Elevated: LB Luke Gifford, DL James Lynch

With regular kicker Matt Gay listed as questionable for the season opener after hernia surgery, the Colts will call up Shrader from the practice squad as an emergency option. The 25-year-old has not made a regular season appearance in his career, but that could very well change tomorrow.

Denver Broncos

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

• RB Tyler Badie, WR Michael Bandy, FB Michael Burton, G Nick Gargiulo, DE Matt Henningsen, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, DB Tanner McCalister, NT Jordan Miller, CB Quinton Newsome, TE Donald Parham, G William Sherman, WR David Sills, CB Reese Taylor, G Calvin Throckmorton, OLB Dondrea Tillman, TE Thomas Yassmin

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed:

Claimed:

• CB Eric Scott Jr.

Waived:

• CB Nic Jones

Signed to practice squad:

• S Deon Bush, TE Baylor Cupp, WR Justyn Ross, QB Bailey Zappe

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed:

Claimed:

• DB Thomas Harper, DT Jonah Laulu

Waived:

• DT Byron Young

Placed on IR: 

• CB Brandon Facyson

Signed to practice squad:

• DE David Agoha, WR Alex Bachman, QB Carter Bradley, G Ben Brown, DT Matthew Butler, WR Jalen Guyton, RB Sincere McCormick, C Will Putnam, S Phalen Sanford, TE John Samuel Shenker, DE Charles Snowden, T Dalton Wagner, CB Sam Webb, WR Kristian Wilkerson

Los Angeles Chargers

Signed:

Claimed:

• RB Hassan Haskins

Waived:

• DB JT Woods

Signed to practice squad:

• OLB Andrew Farmer, LB Shaquille Quarterman

Released:

• FB Michael Burton
• WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
• C Sam Mustipher
• WR Tim Patrick
• RB Samaje Perine
• WR David Sills
• G Calvin Throckmorton

Waived:

• RB Tyler Badie
• WR Michael Bandy
• DL Elijah Garcia
• G Nick Gargiulo
• DL Matt Henningsen
• OLB Thomas Incoom
• T Demontrey Jacobs
• WR Brandon Johnson
• TE Hunter Kampmoyer
• S Tanner McCalister
• NT Jordan Miller
• CB Quinton Newsome
• G William Sherman
• CB Reese Taylor
• OLB Dondrea Tillman
• WR Jalen Virgil
• TE Thomas Yassmin

Waived/injured:

• OLB Durell Nchami

Humphrey will re-sign with the Broncos on a one-year deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Broncos traded Jerry Jeudy to the Browns over the weekend and owe Courtland Sutton a roster bonus this coming weekend. As changes come about in a Denver receiving corps that had stayed mostly the same since 2020, Humphrey will attempt to carve out a role once again.

Down Tim Patrick for a second full season, Denver opted to use Humphrey as an eight-game starter. While this run did not lead to impressive stats (13 catches, 162 yards), Patrick played all 17 games and caught three TD passes. In addition to a Week 1 score, the 6-foot-4 pass catcher reeled off an impressive catch-and-run TD during Jarrett Stidham‘s first start four months later.

In five seasons, Humphrey has crossed 100 receiving yards only twice. He did play for Payton for three years in New Orleans, bringing system familiarity on a team that could be making a significant transition. Perennial trade candidates, Jeudy and Sutton were teammates for four seasons. Although the Broncos are bringing Patrick back, Sutton is due a $2MM salary guarantee on Sunday. The six-year veteran is attached to a nonguaranteed $13MM base salary for 2024. With the Broncos in cost-cutting mode, it is not beyond the realm of possibility they separate from Jeudy and Sutton this offseason.

Baltimore Ravens

• Designated to return from IR: WR Tylan Wallace

Denver Broncos

• Signed to active roster: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey

Houston Texans

• Designated to return from IR: DT Hassan Ridgeway

Los Angeles Rams

• Designated to return from IR: TE Hunter Long

Miami Dolphins

• Designated to return from IR: WR River Cracraft

Seattle Seahawks

• Designated to return from IR: RB Kenny McIntosh
• Designated to return from PUP: NT Austin Faoliu

Tennessee Titans

• Claimed off waivers (from Cardinals): S K’Von Wallace
• Placed on IR: DT Taylor Stallworth

After being waived yesterday by the team who submitted a waiver claim for him at the start of the season, Wallace finds himself on the third NFL team of his career. While the trade that sent star Titans’ defender Kevin Byard to Philadelphia returned another safety in Terrell Edmunds, Wallace will come in and attempt to compete for some key playing time with Edmunds and Amani Hooker.

Humphrey has been promoted as a standard gameday elevation three times already, the limit for a practice squad contract, so in order to see any further game action, he needed to be on the active roster. If he is released and re-signs to the team’s practice squad, he’ll be able to be elevated three more times under a new practice squad deal.

Chicago Bears

• Released: T Austen Pleasants

Denver Broncos

• Re-signed: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
• Released: WR Michael Bandy

Kansas City Chiefs

• Signed: WR Montrell Washington

Humphrey was let go yesterday, but he will immediately find himself back in Denver’s lineup on Sunday. The team announced he has been elevated upon re-signing with the practice squad, meaning Week 7 will be his third and final gameday elevation. The Broncos will need to sign him to the active roster after that point to keep him in the fold for the rest of the season.

Chicago Bears

• Released: CB JoeJuan Williams

Denver Broncos

• Claimed off waivers (from Chiefs): DT Keondre Coburn
• Released: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey

Indianapolis Colts

• Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): CB Ameer Speed
• Waived: WR Amari Rodgers

Miami Dolphins

• Placed on IR: RB Chris Brooks

New Orleans Saints

• Waived: G Tommy Kraemer

Arizona Cardinals

• Waived: RB Tony Jones Jr.

Atlanta Falcons

• Signed to active roster: S Micah Abernathy

Denver Broncos

• Signed to active roster: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Signed to active roster: QB Nathan Rourke

Las Vegas Raiders

• Signed to active roster: CB Tyler Hall
• Placed on IR: S Roderic Teamer

New York Giants

• Signed to active roster: G Justin Pugh
• Signed off Eagles’ practice squad: OL Tyre Phillips
• Waived: TE Lawrence Cager

Seattle Seahawks

• Signed to active roster: WR Cody Thompson

The Giants are dealing with an unprecedented epidemic at offensive tackle right now as their injury report starts to read like a phone book. Already missing starter Andrew Thomas and primary backup Matt Peart, New York went into Sunday night’s game with Evan Neal and Joshua Ezeudu bookending the line. Pugh had recently been brought in to help address the team’s depth at guard, but when Ezeudu exited the game with a toe injury, and was subsequently placed on injured reserve, Pugh kicked out and played the rest of the game at tackle with the first-team offense. Pugh will now serve as depth at tackle, as will Philips, who started his career in Baltimore as a guard before proving his versatility for the Ravens and Giants. He started five games for New York last year.

Arizona Cardinals

• Designated to return: LB Myjai Sanders

Dallas Cowboys

• Signed to active roster: TE Sean McKeon
• Placed on IR: TE Peyton Hendershot
• Designated to return: CB Nahshon Wright

Denver Broncos

• Promoted: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, NT Tyler Lancaster

Philadelphia Eagles

• Promoted: P Braden Mann

Peyton Hendershot will miss at least the next four games while he continues to recover from an ankle injury. The tight end already missed a pair of contests thanks to the injury, with the second-year player hauling in a single catch before that. Sean McKeon will be taking the open spot on the roster. The 25-year-old has spent the past three-plus seasons in Dallas, hauling in six catches in 38 games.

Carolina Panthers

• Waived: CB Sam Webb

Denver Broncos

• Released: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey

Detroit Lions

• Designated to return from IR: CB Khalil Dorsey

Houston Texans

• Designated to return from IR: WR Noah Brown

Indianapolis Colts

• Signed to active roster: G Ike Boettger

Denver releases Humphrey with the intention of adding him back to the team’s practice squad, filling the spot vacated by wide receiver Michael Bandy yesterday. Plus, with young tight end Greg Dulcich expected to return from injured reserve soon, releasing Humphrey opens up a spot on the active roster.

The Colts’ offensive line has been dealing with a couple injuries, so bringing in Boettger will help improve the line’s depth a bit. Boettger, a former undrafted free agent, spent the first five years of his career in Buffalo. He spent much of that time as a backup but did start 17 games in a two-year stretch from 2020-2022. Veteran starting experience is usually an asset worth having on the bench.

Carolina Panthers

• Signed (off Raiders’ practice squad): CB Sam Webb

Denver Broncos

• Promoted from practice squad: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey 
• Placed on IR: S Caden Sterns (story)

Houston Texans

• Signed: DE Michael Dogbe
• Promoted from practice squad: P Ty Zentner

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Suspended to begin 2024 season: TE Leonard Taylor

Los Angeles Rams

• Placed on non-football illness list: QB Stetson Bennett

New Orleans Saints

• Promoted from practice squad: WR Lynn Bowden Jr., DE Kyle Phillips
• Placed on IR: DE Payton Turner (story)

Taylor was placed on IR by the Jaguars in July, guaranteeing that he would not see the field during the 2023 campaign. He has also been suspended for the first two games of next season, though, PHNX’s Howard Balzer notes. The 24-year-old has yet to see regular season NFL game action in his career.

Bennett has been dealing with a shoulder injury, but the NFI designation is used for injuries (or, in this case, illnesses) which arise separate from football-related activities. When asked for specifics about the fourth-round rookie’s circumstances, head coach Sean McVay said, via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, “out of respect for him and the situation, I’m going to leave all of those specifics and particulars in-house” (subscription required). The Rams will move forward with Matthew Stafford as their starter under center, and Brett Rypien available as an option to be elevated from the practice squad.

Arizona Cardinals

• Promoted from practice squad: T Jackson Barton, S Andre Chachere

Atlanta Falcons

• Signed to active roster: RB Godwin Igwebuike
• Promoted from practice squad: CB Natrone Brooks, TE Parker Hesse
• Waived: DL Joe Gaziano

Baltimore Ravens

• Promoted from practice squad: C Sam Mustipher, CB Daryl Worley

Chicago Bears

• Promoted from practice squad: TE Stephen Carlson, OLB DeMarquis Gates
• Released: LB Dylan Cole

Dallas Cowboys

• Promoted from practice squad: CB C.J. Goodwin, C Brock Hoffman

Denver Broncos

• Promoted from practice squad: WR Phillip Dorsett, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey

Green Bay Packers

• Promoted from practice squad: S Innis Gaines, RB Patrick Taylor

Houston Texans

• Promoted from practice squad: G Michael Deiter, P Ty Zentner

Indianapolis Colts

• Promoted from practice squad: RB Jake Funk, WR Juwann Winfree

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Promoted from practice squad: DT Ross Blacklock

Las Vegas Raiders

• Promoted from practice squad: DE Isaac Rochell

Los Angeles Chargers

• Promoted from practice squad: LB Brevin Allen

Los Angeles Rams

• Signed to active roster: LB Troy Reeder
• Promoted from practice squad: K Brett Maher, QB Brett Rypien
• Placed on IR: TE Hunter Long
• Waived from IR with injury settlement: S DeAndre Square

Miami Dolphins

• Promoted from practice squad: LB Cameron Goode

Minnesota Vikings

• Promoted from practice squad: RB Myles Gaskin, OLB Benton Whitley

New Orleans Saints

• Promoted from practice squad: LB Ryan Connelly, RB Tony Jones Jr.
• Placed on IR: WR Tre’Quan Smith

New York Giants

• Promoted from practice squad: RB Taiwan Jones

Philadelphia Eagles

• Promoted from practice squad: WR Britain Covey, P Arryn Siposs

San Francisco 49ers

• Promoted from practice squad: DE Austin Bryant, LB Curtis Robinson

Seattle Seahawks

• Promoted from practice squad: CB Artie Burns, LB Jon Rhattigan
• Placed on IR: RB Kenny McIntosh

Tennessee Titans

• Promoted from practice squad: T Justin Murray, DT Kyle Peko

Washington Commanders

• Promoted from practice squad: WR Jamison Crowder

Released: