Locked On Broncos Hit - Quick Takes on the Denver Broncos
Aug 28, 2026 · 6 min · 4 segments
Sean Payton’s roster-building strategy could give the Denver Broncos crucial flexibility before the 53-man deadline on Sunday. How can vested veterans, waiver rules, and short-term injured reserve…
Cody RoarkHost
And a vested veteran is a player who has accrued four or more NFL seasons of experience.
And right now you look at key guys specifically that aren't necessarily roster locks or starters, guys that could fit into this category.
He's considered a vested veteran because they've all played four or more seasons here in the NFL.
But what this does for Sean Payton and why he likes this is because a lot of this is attested to some of the rules that came out with roster management post-COVID-19.
One of the things that Sean Payton has talked about even this week is that there are certain guys that you can release, you can have a handshake conversation with them, you can release them, but they don't have to go through the waiver wire process, right? Anytime players who have not accrued at least four or more NFL seasons get waived, they have to go through waivers.
They have to be able to be cleared, which means that during this whole process, 31 other teams could potentially put in a claim on a player or list of players that one team specifically releases, and then they can grab those players, and they don't always get to make it back to Denver's practice squad.
However, if you are a vested veteran and you've played four or more NFL seasons of accrued experience, that gives you the chance.
You can sign anywhere, but typically organizations like the Broncos, since Sean Payton has come aboard, have had conversations with specific veterans like Lil Jordan Humphrey, like Calvin Throckmorton, And because there are guys that we feel like might not make it through waivers, we are going to release you, but we are going to sign you back to the practice squad and you will get your three practice squad to game day elevations.
And more than likely as the course of the season goes on, you'll find a way to land on the active roster.
Calvin Throckmorton, fullback Adam Prentice is another name to keep an eye on here.
And then obviously Ellinger and Stidham are the key guys that maybe come to mind if the Broncos want to have some flexibility when it comes to the 53-man roster.
If they ultimately don't decide to keep three QBs on the 53-man roster, they have flexibility with that.
And a vested veteran is a player who has accrued four or more NFL seasons of experience.
And right now you look at key guys specifically that aren't necessarily roster locks or starters, guys that could fit into this category.
He's considered a vested veteran because they've all played four or more seasons here in the NFL.
But what this does for Sean Payton and why he likes this is because a lot of this is attested to some of the rules that came out with roster management post-COVID-19.
One of the things that Sean Payton has talked about even this week is that there are certain guys that you can release, you can have a handshake conversation with them, you can release them, but they don't have to go through the waiver wire process, right? Anytime players who have not accrued at least four or more NFL seasons get waived, they have to go through waivers.
They have to be able to be cleared, which means that during this whole process, 31 other teams could potentially put in a claim on a player or list of players that one team specifically releases, and then they can grab those players, and they don't always get to make it back to Denver's practice squad.
However, if you are a vested veteran and you've played four or more NFL seasons of accrued experience, that gives you the chance.
You can sign anywhere, but typically organizations like the Broncos, since Sean Payton has come aboard, have had conversations with specific veterans like Lil Jordan Humphrey, like Calvin Throckmorton, And because there are guys that we feel like might not make it through waivers, we are going to release you, but we are going to sign you back to the practice squad and you will get your three practice squad to game day elevations.
And more than likely as the course of the season goes on, you'll find a way to land on the active roster.
Calvin Throckmorton, fullback Adam Prentice is another name to keep an eye on here.
And then obviously Ellinger and Stidham are the key guys that maybe come to mind if the Broncos want to have some flexibility when it comes to the 53-man roster.
If they ultimately don't decide to keep three QBs on the 53-man roster, they have flexibility with that.
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