The Denver Broncos officially report for training camp on July 28, and there are plenty of players on one of the deepest rosters in the NFL who could be coming into camp already on the proverbial hot seat.
Entering camp on the roster bubble can obviously be a major disadvantage, but it can also work in the player's favor if they can shine and stack days when the pads come on.
With limited spots available, but a coaching staff and front office that clearly rewards performance over everything else, we're going to take a look at four players on the Broncos' roster who have the hottest seats going into training camp, and what they need to do to change that narrative around.
4 Broncos players on the roster hot seat heading into training camp in 2026
1. Jarrett Stidham, QB
There has been plenty of talk already this offseason about Sam Ehlinger possibly winning the QB2 job over Jarrett Stidham from those who cover the Broncos, and where there's smoke there's bound to be fire.
Stidham hasn't gotten many opportunities to start over the past few seasons, but the one opportunity he did get came in the AFC Championship Game when he took over for the injured Bo Nix. Even though the circumstances in that game were extremely difficult, it was likely eye-opening for the Broncos' coaching staff.
It's going to be fascinating to see what the Broncos would do if Ehlinger does win an open competition for the backup position. Stidham has been not only great for the quarterback room since Bo Nix came into the league, but also a great friend of Nix.
The primary reason he could be on the roster bubble is his contract and how much the Broncos realistically want to invest in a third quarterback. He's carrying an $8 million cap hit this year and the Broncos would save $4.5 million by cutting him or $6.5 million by trading him.
This is a situation worth monitoring as camp goes along.
2. Jaleel McLaughlin/Tyler Badie, RB
We're going to lump these two guys into one spot, because it's probably fair to say that they'd have to force the Broncos to keep a 4th running back in order to make the 53-man roster in 2026.
And that's not impossible, because Sean Payton did it last year and kept Jaleel McLaughlin as a weekly inactive until he needed him as an injury replacement after Week 10.
The major issue with both McLaughlin and Badie right now is the fact that neither player seized the opportunity before them last year when JK Dobbins went down with an injury. It's impossible to ignore or deny how rough the team's running game was down the stretch last season, and how they didn't feel like they had a single back they could trust to pick up two yards on a 4th down play against the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
McLaughlin and Badie are two of the longest-tenured players on the entire roster right now, and two of the more beloved players by Sean Payton. We'll see if this year is the end of the line for either/both of them, or if they force their way back onto the team with a strong camp.
3. Drew Sanders, edge rusher
Although Sanders isn't the most high-profile player on the Broncos' roster right now in terms of what he's done for the team, he's probably the highest-profile player on the roster bubble given his NFL Draft status.
As a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Sanders has been an unfortunate disappointment up to this point, and for multiple reasons. The Broncos haven't been able to land on a spot for him to actually play, for one thing, but Sanders also hasn't stayed healthy.
The combination of not having a solidified position and also not getting on-field reps due to injuries has been detrimental. Even though Sean Payton has been complimentary of Sanders and the work he's been putting in this offseason, it feels like he's very much entering training camp on the roster bubble, facing an uphill climb.
4. Caleb Lohner, TE
Another recent draft pick whose roster status is a question mark entering camp this year is tight end Caleb Lohner.
Sean Payton singled Lohner out after rookie minicamp as looking like a vastly improved player, but nobody got to see the improvements he's made on the practice field during OTAs or minicamp as he recovered from a procedure (lower body injury).
The 2025 7th-round pick out of Utah is competing with the veterans on the team, of course, but also the two guys the Broncos just drafted in 2026: Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley.
This is not the best tight end room in the NFL right now in terms of proven production, so Lohner still has a chance to make some noise, but there might be too many other players for the Broncos to put him on the initial 53 unless there is a surprise cut, or they keep five tight ends initially.
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