Broncos Part Ways With $15 Million Veteran in ‘Surprise’ Roster Move

The Denver Broncos are leaning even further into their youth movement.

They began during the 2024 offseason, parting with veterans like Justin Simmons and Russell Wilson. But they also added other veterans on more economical contracts. The team announced it had placed one of them, wide receiver Josh Reynolds – on waivers on December 3.

Reynolds has been sidelined since Week 5, long enough to be supplanted in the offense by his younger teammates.

“In a mild surprise, the Broncos waived the veteran Reynolds on Tuesday. Reynolds, 29, suffered a fractured finger in the Broncos’ week 5 win October 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. Reynolds finished the scoring in that game with a 9-yard touchdown catch from Bo Nix. It was later revealed Reynolds suffered a fractured finger and was placed on four-week injured reserve,” 9News Mike Klis’ wrote in his report on the move.

“Reynolds has been recovered from his fractured finger but the team kept him on IR for an additional four weeks.”

Reynolds signed a two-year, $9 million contract with the Broncos in free agency.

He pointed to Broncos head coach Sean Payton as one of the driving factors and drew praise from the latter for his efforts during the offseason program.

In addition to the finger injury, which required surgery, Reynolds was also the victim of a shooting. The full extent of his injuries, though police reports stated that the veteran was shot in the arm and head.

Nix flips it to his old teammate and Franklin takes it to the goal line.

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— NFL (@NFL) December 3, 2024

Reynolds, who has earned $15 million in his career, should have options if he can get healthy.

Broncos’ Youngsters Made Josh Reynolds Expendable

Reynolds was brought in to help address the Broncos’ hole at WR2 opposition No. 1 option Courtland Sutton following the Jerry Jeudy trade. Instead, a pair of rookies rendered Reynolds superfluous in Denver.

“Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin, have each developed into complementary weapons for the Bo Nix-led offense,” Klis wrote. “Head coach Sean Payton has also liked the overall blocking and catch game of veteran receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey. There is also No. 1 receiver Courtland Sutton and versatile speed threat Marvin Mims Jr., a second-year player.

The Broncos selected Vele in the seventh round of the 2024 draft.

A 6-foot-4 prospect who drew comparisons to former Bronco Tim Patrick, Vele has 33 receptions for 377 yards and 1 touchdown over the first 13 games.

Franklin was selected before Vele, taken in the fourth round of the same class. He was also Nix’s teammate at Oregon despite logging fewer snaps than Vele since Week 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Franklin had two catches for 28 yards versus the Browns. Vele caught one pass for 16 yards.

Humphrey got his start under Payton with the New Orleans Saints. He is on a one-year, $1.1 million contract

Broncos Former 2nd-Round Pick Making Big Plays

Mims has hit a groove in recent weeks. He took three handoffs 17 yards in that loss to Kansas City. Mims caught two passes for 49 yards and 1 touchdown the following week. The Broncos drafted Mims No. 63 overall in 2024.

He crossed the 100-yard mark for the second time in his career and the first since Week 2 of the 2023 season in Week 13 versus the Cleveland Browns.

Payton projected Mims to replace Jeudy in the offense before Reynolds signed with the Broncos.

Mims earned All-Pro honors as a rookie kick returner. But he too has been passed up by his rookie teammates. The Broncos are still finding ways to get him the ball on offense, though, and it is paying off.