Linebacker Jordan Turner had a bit of a unique road to the NFL. After a successful college career at Wisconsin and Michigan State, Turner declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, after seven rounds, Turner did not hear his name called, and he would become an undrafted free agent. That signing process moves quickly, but once again, Turner was left waiting, and his NFL dream seemed to be slipping away.
Then it finally happened, well, sort of. Turner was invited to the Denver Broncos rookie minicamp
as a tryout player. Most tryouts do not end up making the team, but this was likely Turner’s final shot to make it in the NFL. Well, at the conclusion of the Broncos rookie minicamp, Turner finally did it. The Broncos signed him to their 90-man roster, and he would be heading to training camp to try to make the Broncos’ 53-man roster or at least their practice squad.
Most fans, myself included, overlooked Turner at first. He was an undrafted free agent who made the team via a tryout during rookie minicamp, so the odds of him making an impact were rather low. However, Turner once again defied the odds. He was a standout player during training camp and really made his presence known during the preseason. Turner proved enough to the Broncos coaches to stick around, but on their practice squad, not their 53-man roster. We saw fellow undrafted rookie linebacker Karene Reid get that 53-man roster spot, but still, this was an accomplishment for Turner, who went from being undrafted and unsigned to making an NFL roster.
Turner remained on the Broncos’ practice squad until the middle point of the season, when he was elevated to the active roster for their Week 8 game vs. the Dallas Cowboys. In total, Turner would appear in 7 regular-season games and in both of the Broncos’ postseason games. He was primarily a special teams player and saw a total of 153 special teams snaps last season, with just 23 defensive snaps, most of those coming in the Broncos regular season finale vs. the Chargers.
Now, in year two with the Broncos, Jordan Turner has to do it again. The Broncos brought back veteran starters Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, drafted Red Murdock, signed talented undrafted rookie Taurean York, and will be competing with Karene Reid and Levelle Bailey for a spot on the 53-man roster and their practice squad. The backup spots behind both Singleton and Bailey are wide open, so there is an opportunity there for Turner to lock down a backup job and make the 53-man roster or, at the very least, make their practice squad once again.
Player Profile
Jordan Turner | Linebacker | Denver Broncos
- Height: 6-1
- Weight: 231 pounds
- Age: 24 years old
- Experience: 2nd season
- 2025 stats: 7 tackles and 1 quarterback hit
Jordan Turner’s 2026 outlook with the Denver Broncos
Like with all the Broncos reserve linebackers, there is an opportunity there for them if they can step up. The reserve roles behind starters Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are wide open, and the added competition was the final pick in the draft and another undrafted free agent. Neither of those two rookies is guaranteed a spot on the roster, and a player like Turner can use the experience gained last season to give him an edge in the competition.
When you get into the second half of preseason games, things get kinda rough, but Turner really stood out to me when he played. That was my first introduction to him, really, and he looked quick, explosive, and was making plays all over the field, including a couple sacks. This wasn’t enough to make the team initially, but they kept him around, and he ended up playing a good amount of special teams snaps late in the year and in the postseason. That experience and special teams role could give him an edge in this competition.
Those final spots on the roster go to a player who can contribute on special teams, and Turner proved he can do that last season. Now again, he is going to face competition from Red Murdock, York, Reid, and Bailey for that exact role, and they all profile well there as well, so it’s going to be tough.
Ultimately, I feel like Turner is someone that sticks around. Whether that be on the 53-man roster or the practice squad, I think he will be part of the Broncos this upcoming season. I like what I saw from him during the preseason last year; he has some special teams experience, and maybe he can show something more on the defensive side of the ball too.
Final Thoughts
The final two or three spots at linebacker are wide open and will be one of the more intriguing camp battles to watch. Turner and Reid all spent time on the 53-man roster last year, Bailey was a player Payton was hyping up a few seasons ago, and Murdock and York look like two exciting and promising rookies. It could go several different ways, and the team could and probably will still add a veteran to the mix in some capacity.
I personally like Turner and believe he will be part of this team, at the very least on the practice squad, but I can make the same argument for Murdock, York, Reid, and Bailey as well. Should be a fun battle to watch play out in the coming weeks and months, and Jordan Turner could be a player that surprises some this summer during training camp and the preseason.
