The Denver Broncos' initial 53-man roster came down to the wire, having cut down from 91 players to 53 on Sunday afternoon. There were several surprises from the initial roster, from cutting fan-favorite draft picks to veteran playmakers. We take a more in-depth look at the winners and losers from the first iteration of the 53-man roster.
Winner: QB Sam Ehlinger
Ehlinger made a push for the backup quarterback position against Jarrett Stidham this summer. Stidham ended up starting two of Denver's preseason contests, giving him a leg up on Ehlinger. What sealed Ehlinger's spot on the 53-man roster was his performance on Friday against the Minnesota Vikings. Ehlinger went 15-of-20 for 233 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. General manager George Paton said that
the team "didn't want to lose him" after a very competitive summer.
Loser: RB Jaleel McLaughlin
McLaughlin was the "last decision we made," according to Paton in a post-cut presser. The writing began to be on the wall when the Broncos put McLaughlin on the practice squad in 2025. McLaughlin became expendable when the Broncos drafted Jonah Coleman in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Winner: RB Tyler Badie
Conversely, Badie was named to the 53-man roster ahead of McLaughlin. Badie struggled in the preseason, but was one of those players who coach Sean Payton apparently couldn't live without. Badie saw action in 15 of Denver's games, so the trust is there. The fact that Badie made the roster in place of McLaughlin tells a story of the skill set difference between the players.
Loser: LB Red Murdock
"Mr. Irrelevant" showed his potential throughout the preseason, making tackles and even forcing a fumble. One could have made a strong case for Murdock, who played his butt off in camp and the preseason. He was calling plays for Vance Joseph's defense and was one of the biggest surprises of the entire cut process. Hopefully Murdock clears waivers and will be on the practice squad. He was a likeable player, with an even better story.
Winner: TE Caleb Lohner
All we have to say is, there must be some real upside to Lohner, the second-year (third-year ever playing football!) tight end from Utah. Lohner was kept ahead of fifth-round pick Justin Joly, and veteran Lucas Krull, despite being held out for the entirety of training camp, and not having played in the preseason. "He looks entirely different in this camp," Payton said of Lohner in mid-May after rookie minicamp. There must be a diamond in the rough that we just don't see yet. Lohner will begin the year on short-term injured reserve.
The Broncos will begin building their practice squad on Monday, and they could make several changes to their 53-man roster in the coming days and weeks. We will have all the latest updates on Broncos Wire.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Winners and losers from Broncos’ initial 53-man roster
