Broncos Swap Broken Parts for Fresh Legs and Sacks Ahead of Cardinals Clash
Adam Schefter reported the roster moves on Saturday evening.
The are playing a high-stakes game of one-in, one-out right before their Sunday trip to the desert. According to Adam Schefter, Denver is officially activating rookie running back and veteran edge rusher Jonathon Cooper, while sending running back Tyler Badie and linebacker Jonah Elliss to injured reserve.
Swapping exactly two running backs and two linebackers is the kind of perfectly balanced transaction that makes a front office feel incredibly organized, but for the Broncos, it is pure survival mode. Badie and Elliss both went down during Thursday's game, forcing to scramble the depth chart on a short week before facing the .
now gets to step right into the offensive void. The fourth-round rookie out of Washington has barely seen the field this season, logging just 10 carries for 39 yards and a single touchdown. Now he goes from holding a helmet on the sideline to taking meaningful snaps against an defense that currently ranks an abysmal 29th against the run.
Getting Cooper back is the real needle-mover for anyone sweating the defensive props this weekend. The sixth-year veteran has been a reliable anchor for 's pass rush, racking up 10.5 sacks in 2024 and another eight last season. Replacing a sidelined rookie in Elliss with a guy who has 31.5 career sacks is a massive upgrade for a defense trying to blow up the backfield.
For bettors trying to figure out the Sunday slate, this completely changes the math on 's ground game and pass rush. just scraped by the 18-16 last week, and now they have to deal with a fresh veteran edge rusher and a rookie running back who has fresh legs and virtually no NFL tape to study.
We will find out Sunday night if can turn a sudden promotion into a permanent job, or if the Cardinals will just stack the box and dare to throw. Either way, the just swapped out their broken parts for a high-upside rookie and a proven sack artist with exactly 24 hours to spare.