Denver Broncos Popular Veteran WR Who Helped Them Reach AFC Championship In Serious Danger Of Getting Cut
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The Denver Broncos have much more talent at wide receiver than they did a few years ago. Because of that, the team could face some tough decisions when it trims its roster before the 2026 season.
One player who could miss out is veteran wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey. ESPN’s Jeff Legwold did not include Humphrey in his latest projection of the Broncos’ 53-man roster, even though he has been good in recent seasons.
Instead, Legwold predicted the Broncos will keep five wide receivers, Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, and rookie Pat Bryant. He also expects Denver to carry four tight ends, Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins, and rookie Justin Joly. With those players making the team, there would not be a spot left for Humphrey.
Broncos Still Value Humphrey Despite Roster Crunch
Denver showed confidence in Humphrey earlier this year when it signed him to a one-year, $1.48 million contract on March 12.
NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero announced the deal on X and wrote, “The Broncos are re-signing WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, per source. A Sean Payton favorite.”
Humphrey has a long history with Broncos head coach Sean Payton. He played for Payton with the New Orleans Saints from 2019 through 2021 after entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent. He later joined the New England Patriots before returning to Denver under Payton.
Not everyone expected Humphrey to make the final roster after signing his new deal. Broncos Country Germany wrote on X, “As long as cap hit is low, it doesn’t matter. Roster has to be filled to 90 anyway. SP keeps another one of his guys. Prediction: PS + Elevations max at the start.”
Humphrey’s NFL journey has included several stops. The New York Giants signed him to a one-year deal in March 2025 after he turned down Denver’s offer. According to 9News Broncos reporter Mike Klis, Humphrey’s agent Jimmy Gould explained the decision by saying, “A lotta love and respect for Sean (Payton) and Broncos. This is about future opportunity and we felt Giants offered more.”
The Giants later released Humphrey during final roster cuts and added him to the practice squad. He appeared in three regular-season games before Denver signed him in November. He finished that stretch with nine catches for 101 yards and one touchdown in seven games.
In 2024, he caught a career-high 31 passes for 293 yards and played in 34 straight regular-season games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
His value goes beyond receiving numbers. In November 2024, Frankie Abbott praised Humphrey’s blocking and run-game effort on X, writing, “So sit back, relax, and enjoy nearly 4 minutes of LJH being a demon in the run/screen game and one of Denver’s best YAC WRs.”
Now, Denver’s improved depth could leave one of Payton’s trusted veterans searching for his next opportunity.
