The deeper the Denver Broncos' roster has gotten, the harder it's become for GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton to make cuts.
For the first time since 2023, the Broncos' roster will not include running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who impressed in his rookie offseason enough to not only crack the roster, but the rotation at running back as well.
With the arrival of Jonah Coleman in the 2026 NFL Draft, as well as the versatility of Tyler Badie, the Broncos only kept four running backs on their 53-man roster. The Broncos also brought Cody Schrader back to the practice squad to be their 5th back. This was goodbye for good.
McLaughlin landed with a new team quickly, but it was a rough landing spot, to say the least. He signed on to the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns.
Former Denver Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin signs to Browns' practice squad
For McLaughlin, it's a return to the state of Ohio, where he played for the Division II Notre Dame Falcons before transferring to Youngstown State.
Despite being undersized at 5-foot-7, 187 pounds, McLaughlin set the NCAA career rushing record with 8,166 yards before getting to the NFL, and the Broncos found a role for him quickly. As a rookie in 2023, he ran for 410 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He also added 31 receptions with a pair of touchdown catches.
The Broncos planned a bigger role for McLaughlin in his second season, but his effectiveness diminished. His YPC average dropped from 5.4 to 4.4 with the higher volume of work, but he was still able to give the team three total touchdowns, including one of the most clutch plays of the season against the Buccaneers.
By the 2025 season, the Broncos had basically phased McLaughlin out of the offensive plan, adding both JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey to the backfield with Tyler Badie as the passing down back. McLaughlin didn't even play until after Dobbins went down with his injury in Week 10, but even then, the Broncos used him sparingly (41 total touches in 8 games).
It's tough to see a player who was once the undrafted free agent Cinderella story of the offseason now cut, and his time with the franchise overwith. You never know when a player might come back at some point down the line, but the fact that the Broncos brought McLaughlin back this offseason was a bit of a surprise in the first place.
Now, he lands in Cleveland, where he will at least be the 4th back on the roster behind the top 3 guys on their 53-man: Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, Rahiem Sanders. He'll also be back with old friend Michael Burton, who was his lead blocker in Denver from 2023-24.
The problem isn't the Browns' depth chart, but the fact that they might be the worst team in the entire NFL right now.
You'll never knock a guy for taking a job in the NFL, but to go from what might be a top-3 Super Bowl contender in the NFL to the Browns? That's a rough landing, and the harsh reality of roster cuts in the NFL.
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