The Denver Broncos have signed wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey to their active roster, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Humphrey had been spending the beginning of his season with the New York Giants, including returning to Denver as a member of New York's receiving corps. There is a solid chance that he is active for the Broncos this Sunday afternoon as they embark on the biggest AFC West matchup of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Humphrey had previously spent the past two seasons with the Broncos, taking on a much larger role in 2024 than he did in 2023. In total, he hauled in 455 receiving yards over the course of his two years, recording four total touchdowns. He was used more as a safety net for Bo Nix in 2024 than any form of downfield threat, but found solid success in that role.
Most importantly, Humphrey is a strong blocking receiver. Given his size and skillset, he serves a ton of value as an in-line receiver, blocking in the second level, and chipping edge rushers on his way out on routes. With the potential for JK Dobbins being out this week, the Broncos are going to need to rely more on short passing and quarterback runs, which could be an easy area for Humphrey to make an immediate impact.
What could the Humphrey signing mean for the rest of the Broncos season?
While the signing of Humphrey may seem somewhat uninspiring on the surface, this could mean a few different things for the Broncos. First and foremost, this gives them extra receiver depth and depth that has familiarity with the system. Denver dresses five receivers most weeks, but cut Michael Bandy after two appearances with the team. There is reasonable suspicion that Marvin Mims could be back this week, but nothing is official yet.
Second, it never hurts to give a young quarterback a familiar face. Nix had a solid rapport with Humphrey last season, connecting on 31 receptions. He served his role as a safety net for the young quarterback and was a frequent target on bootlegs. Nix has struggled on the boot this year, so adding a receiver he is comfortable with on those plays could help Nix through his sophomore slump.
Finally, the Broncos are likely going to be without Dobbins this week, barring something unexpected. With that being said, the Broncos might look to extend their running game more with Nix, RJ Harvey, and their east-west screen game. Having a strong blocker in Humphrey will help, especially considering Trent Sherfield has struggled to hold blocks on those types of plays this season.
Humphrey is an unappealing sign at first, but he provides solid value to Sean Payton's specific system. Expect him to see considerable snaps on Sunday against the Chiefs, especially if Dobbins is inactive. It might not be the Jaylen Waddle trade everyone was hoping for, but this can be a sneaky, solid move for Payton and his struggling offense.