‘We think he’s going to have a nice career’ – The Denver Broncos released a player that they believe in
The Denver Broncos released a player that they think is going to have a nice career in the NFL, but they had a reason.
The Denver Broncos released a player this past weekend that they believe will have a nice NFL career.
It was a decision the team had to make in order to cut the roster to 53 on Sunday.
The Broncos like rookie tight end Justin Joly a lot, but they just didn’t have room to keep him on the 53-man roster
Denver released rookie tight end Justin Joly, a fifth-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, despite his 88-yard touchdown reception in the Broncos’ final preseason game.
Denver general manager George Paton explained the decision to release Joly on Sunday.
“Justin is a talented player,” said Paton. “We knew it when we drafted him. We knew he was raw. We still like the player. He was coming on toward the end of training camp. The tight end position is a tough position for a rookie. He missed a lot of the offseason [and is] just a little bit behind. We wish we had another game or two.
“We still like the player. We think he’s going to have a nice career. You just have to make tough decisions to build the best 53 you can make.”
The Broncos are obviously hoping that Joly will clear waivers so they can sign him to the practice squad, but he’s a strong candidate to be signed to another team’s active roster.
The Cleveland Browns, specifically, are a team that could make sense for Joly (he was teammates with Browns rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion at NC State).
Denver has one of the best rosters in the league, but that means they had to release some talented players who may have been locks to make the 53-man roster for other teams.
