The Denver Broncos have had to make some in-season adjustments at the linebacker position in 2024 thanks to an injury suffered by starter and captain Alex Singleton all the way back in Week 3 against the Buccaneers. The Broncos needed veteran help at that position, and luckily for them, there were still some quality options available that deep into the season.
The team doubled up, signing both veterans Kwon Alexander and Zach Cunningham to the practice squad. After getting acclimated to the system, Alexander was promoted earlier this year against the New Orleans Saints for his first start as a Bronco, and he ended up getting a fumble recovery in that game.
After he ran out of promotions, the Broncos decided to give Zach Cunningham an audition against the Falcons and Raiders, and they surprisingly ended up signing Cunningham to the 53-man roster this week despite the fact that Alexander had been an expected promotion for weeks. After the Broncos made the decision to go with Cunningham over Alexander, the Detroit Lions swooped in and stole the veteran off Denver's practice squad.
Broncos lose Kwon Alexander to the injury-ravaged Detroit Lions
The Lions lost linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez to a season-ending ACL injury on Thanksgiving and they once again need reinforcements on that side of the football. They wasted very little time, plucking Alexander off of Denver's practice squad and likely giving him a tremendous chance to play significant snaps right away.
Of course, Alexander has history with the New Orleans Saints dating back to 2020 when current Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was still on the Sean Payton coaching staff in New Orleans. Even though Glenn coached the secondary at that time, there will undoubtedly be some carryover from Alexander's time both in Denver as well as New Orleans that will help him transition to the Lions a little easier.
This is the second time this year that the Lions have plucked the guy wearing the #12 jersey away from the Denver Broncos. The Lions ended up signing veteran receiver Tim Patrick after the Broncos made him a surprising roster cut after the preseason, and now they've added Alexander to the fray.
As far as the Denver Broncos at the inside linebacker position? They're going to be just fine. Up to this point, the team has prioritized a number of other players including Cunningham, most recently.
Outside of Riley Moss, nobody has played more snaps for the Denver defense this year than Cody Barton, who is having a really nice year overall. Justin Strnad has taken the lion's share of snaps after Barton and the Broncos have rotated guys like Alexander, Cunningham, and even Kristian Welch (who is no longer with the team).
With Cunningham's recent promotion as well as the activation of Drew Sanders off the PUP list, the Broncos might end up waiving UDFA Levelle Bailey and using his roster spot to get Josh Reynolds back into the mix. We'll see what the next handful of days bring.
