The Denver Broncos have one more preseason game left in the 2026 NFL Offseason before the real thing, and with one game left, the final roster cuts are coming soon. The Broncos play the Minnesota Vikings on August 28th, and the final 53-man roster is due by August 30th at 6 PM ET/4 PM ET.
It's going to be a quick turnaround for the coaches to make those decisions, and while some players who get cut by the Broncos will end up back on the practice squad, others won't, and their NFL futures will be up in the air big-time.
While the Broncos do have a ton of roster locks, there are some who are on the bubble or even don't have much of a chance to make the final roster in two days, as the Broncos might be seeing two offensive players in their last dance when the team hosts the Vikings.
Denver Broncos may part ways with Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie after the preseason
The running back room may already be settled, and it probably isn't going to include Jaleel McLaughlin or Tyler Badie. McLaughlin played eight games last year for the Broncos after playing in 33 in the prior two seasons.
Badie played in 16 games for the Broncos, and both ended up being non-factors. Badie was primarily only getting snaps on obvious passing situations on third down, but even as a receiving back, there wasn't much there.
As for McLaughlin, he does have that quickness and speed, but he's not been able to carve out any sort of consistent role thus far. After having 570 and 572 scrimmage yards in his first two seasons, he was only able to rack up 214 scrimmage yards in 2025.
Not only that, but the Broncos used a fourth-round pick on Jonah Coleman in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the early returns from Coleman this offseason have been rather wonderful, as he's even received some high praise from Sean Payton.
The Broncos re-signed J.K. Dobbins and also still have RJ Harvey in the mix, whose receiving upside is borderline elite at the position, so Harvey is definitely going to have a role this year. Denver also has a likely fullback to roster in Adam Prentice, who was stellar last year and has performed well this offseason, too.
As of now, it'd be a shock if the Broncos running back room didn't feature Dobbins, Coleman, Harvey, and Prentice. Sure, the team could look to bring Badie and McLaughlin back on the practice squad, as they at least know the system, but at this point, you also risk potentially passing up younger players with more developmental upside to keep on the practice squad.
There just isn't anything more the Broncos are going to get from Badie and McLaughlin, and there is also a non-zero chance that one or both has an offer to be on the active roster for another team. For the first time in the Payton era, it does seem like the Broncos have a legitimate, perhaps even great plan at running back.
Dobbins is going to bring consistent efficiency on the ground. He'll average five yards per carry, as he's done his entire career. Harvey brings the breakaway speed and high-end receiving upside, and Coleman is the complete package, with between the tackles running ability, modest receiving potential, and even pass protection chops.
I just do not see any reason why the Broncos would need to continue running with Badie and McLaughlin, even on the practice squad. The Broncos may have three capable running backs and simply shouldn't have a need to stash two others.
While McLaughlin, especially, has flashed some frisky upside, it's not been consistent enough, and if the Broncos were satisfied with the players in this room before the offseason, they surely would not have went out and drafted Coleman.
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