Broncos Add Versatile $5 Million Prospect to 53-Man Roster Before Facing Browns

Getty Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton on the field before facing the New Orleans Saints.

The Denver Broncos boast the NFL’s third-ranked scoring defense through 12 weeks, and it features some teeth. Denver ranks No.1 in sacks. They have the third-highest blitz rate and sixth-highest hurry rate, per Pro Football Reference.

The Broncos officially activated linebacker Drew Sanders from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on November 26, one day ahead of the deadline to do so.

Sanders has missed the entire season to this point after tearing his Achilles in the spring.

“Drew Sanders made it all the way back from an Achilles injury in the same calendar year,” 9News’ Mike Klis wrote on November 26. “No small feat.

“Sanders was preparing for a major improvement in year two, but soon after the Broncos’ offseason conditioning program began in mid-April, he suffered a torn Achilles. Following surgery, Sanders eventually was placed on PUP. He was cleared to start practicing three weeks ago.”

“Sanders was initially placed at inside linebacker during his rookie season, but was switched to outside linebacker about midseason,” Klis wrote. “His rookie year was an adjustment. Although he played in all 17 games and was in on 24 tackles, he didn’t register a sack.”

Drew Sanders Looking to Beat the Odds Broncos

The Broncos traded up with the Indianapolis Colts to select Sanders with the No. 67 overall pick of the 2023 draft. The 6-foot-5 defender recorded 24 total tackles and 1 fumble recovery, starting four of the games he played in as a rookie.

His return to play is already noteworthy. Achilles injuries were career-enders in the NFL and can still prove problematic.

According to Mile High Report’s John Holmes, “approximately one third” of pros do no return.

“In February 2011, Demaryius Thomas suffered a torn Achilles, and was expected to miss the entire season. He returned in Week 7, though reporting from the time indicated he was ready earlier but had suffered an unrelated injury,” Holmes wrote in June.

“Terrell Suggs suffered an OTA Achilles tear in April 2012 and returned in October to play for about half of the Ravens’ season.”

Thomas hit his stride late in the season and even had a 200-receiving-yard game in the playoffs.

Suggs was older than Thomas when he suffered the injury. He recorded 2.0 sacks during the regular season after returning. That is the second-lowest mark of his career. It is the lowest of any season in which he played more than one game.

He also helped the Baltimore Ravens win the Super Bowl over the San Francisco 49ers. Suggs recorded another 2.0 sacks en route to the big game.

Both Suggs and Thomas were Pro Bowlers in the season following their injuries.

Drew Sanders Joins Loaded Rotation

Broncos head coach Sean Payton was non-committal about what kind of role Sanders would have were he to play in Week 13.

Nik Bonitto is the NFL’s third-leading sacker with a career-high 10.0 and headlines the group. Jonathon Cooper (7.0 sacks) is next with rookie Jonah Elliss (4.0) behind them. The Broncos traded Week 1 starter Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals before the November 5 deadline.

Former undrafted free agent and UFL standout Dondrea Tillman has filled in admirably.

The Broncos’ investment in Sanders, who is in Year 2 of his four-year, $5.7 million rookie contract, combined with his potential makes him a more intriguing option.