The Denver Broncos had tough cuts to make on Sunday afternoon.

They waived rookies and veterans alike.

And when the dust settled, they were able to bring back most of their top guys, while two players were poached.

Denver Broncos tough cuts prove how great the roster is

If one were to make a list of the surprising cuts by the Broncos, it’d probably look like this:

  • Tight end Justin Joly
  • Linebacker Red Murdock
  • Linebacker Taurean York
  • Fullback Adam Prentice (though the plan was always to bring him back)
  • Running back Jaleel McLaughlin

According to Sean Payton, the Broncos wanted to bring back Justin Joly and hoped he wouldn’t get claimed off waivers, but the Miami Dolphins saw him and poached him.

“If he’s not claimed, he’s coming back,” Payton said of the team’s fifth-round draft pick. “We felt strongly that he was coming back to our practice squad, and yet it’s hard to predict. I would have thought [RB] Jaleel [McLaughlin] was going to get claimed, and yet that didn’t happen. So it’s hard to predict that.”

On the positive side, as Payton explained there, the Broncos got lucky by getting McLaughlin back on the practice squad.

You win some, you lose some.

They were also able to re-sign Adam Prentice, the pride of Colorado State University, to the practice squad. That was more of a given considering few teams are carrying fullbacks in this day and age. And they got “Mr. Irrelevant” Red Murdock back too. He really impressed throughout training camp and in preseason games, but saw Jordan Turner make the team ahead of him because Turner plays special teams.

However, there was another player Denver likely wanted to bring back to the practice squad who was also swooped up by the Miami Dolphins; cornerback Reese Taylor.

That means of the Broncos 29 waived players, two were claimed. It seems like a small number, but that’s 6.8%, which is higher than the league average.

“I think 29 players got waived. There’s a four percent claim rate,” Sean Payton explained.

Denver nearly doubled that rate because their roster was so stacked.

Broncos expected to compete for Super Bowl

The Broncos have been overhyped this offseason.

That’s to say everyone around the country now expects them to be one of the best teams in the NFL. They expect the Broncos to compete for a Super Bowl this year after coming up one game short last year.

That’s a complete 180 from last year’s surprise team of the season.

In FOX’s latest team tier list, the Broncos are among the four best squads in the “Super Bowl or Bust” category with the Seattle Seahawks, LA Rams, and Buffalo Bills.

Part of the reason why Denver is being seen as one of the most dominant teams this year is their roster-building.

The Broncos didn’t make really any splash moves in free agency. They instead signed a ton of their own guys. That alone points to how good the roster already was.

Their big move came in a trade, when they sent their first-round draft pick for star receiver Jaylen Waddle. That move—along with bringing back J.K. Dobbins and drafting Jonah Coleman—have people legitimately excited about Denver’s offense this year. Yes, the defense will still carry this team. But the offense should be able to play more complimentary football. Plus, the special teams improved last year and are on a positive trajectory too.

Complimentary football wins football games and wins championships.

All across America, people are realizing how stacked this team is.

PFSN calls the Broncos roster the 4th-best in the NFL. And Pat Surtain was the 10th-best player in the NFL Top 100, and the league’s top cornerback. He was one of six Broncos players to make the list, which is voted on by their fellow NFL players.

As Sean Payton said earlier this offseason, this Broncos team is primed to compete for a Super Bowl.

“Yeah, this is one of them [teams he’s coached who could win a Super Bowl],” he said. “I think you have to play good defense to be one of those teams. You have to get good quarterback play, have to be good on the offensive and defensive lines. You have to be well coached. I think we’re all of the above.”

We’re now less than two weeks until the kickoff of the 2026 season for the Denver Broncos as they face the Chiefs in Kansas City to open Monday Night Football. Denver faces a gauntlet in their first six games, but they’ll be ready to prove themselves after this long offseason of “what ifs.”