Denver’s IR slate shortens to six after Kristian Williams’ injury settlement, freeing him to join another club. Malcolm Roach and Drew Sanders land on short-term IR, with Week 5 return eligibility if healthy; four others remain on season-ending IR. The Broncos head to Indianapolis as slight Week 2 favorites, navigating roster churn while hoping Roach/Sanders backfill depth later this season.

Two IR moves (Williams off IR, Burton/Gargiulo/Walker/Henningsen still out) compress roster flexibility but could unlock reserve opportunities. Week 1 win over Titans provides a positive note as the team readies for a Colts matchup that could shape early-season defensive identity and fantasy plays.

Denver carries a 53-man roster with a 17-player practice squad for 2025, but six players sit on injured reserve — Kristian Williams, Michael Burton, Nick Gargiulo, Johnny Walker, Matt Henningsen (season-ending) and Drew Sanders (short-term) — reshaping the front seven and backfield to start the season. The Broncos host Tennessee in Week 1, and Sanders’ four-game return window will be a key factor in early defensive depth. Expect immediate shifts in run defense and pass rush as Denver leans on reserves and multiplayers roles at RB/TE.

Week 1 will test Denver’s depth as Titans come to town with a balanced attack. The IR crop highlights how quickly Denver can retool and who emerges in front of the crowd, while fantasy managers gauge early-season upside for Denver defenders and backfield role players amid arrival of reinforcements and potential injury settlements as the season unfolds.

Denver cut Gregory Junior from IR after an injury settlement, freeing a roster spot for a cornerback depth shake-up as the 53-man roster looms. Junior, 26, signed Aug. 5 and reinjured a hamstring four days later in a joint workout with the Cardinals, ending his Broncos run on IR with a settlement that allows him to sign elsewhere. Denver still has three season-ending IR players—Johnny Walker, Matt Henningsen and Nick Gargiulo—keeping depth thin at the start of roster construction. When Denver clears the 53, two players can return from short-term IR after four games, with Micahel Burton and Drew Sanders possible candidates. The Cardinals are noted only as a practice partner in the hamstring setback, a reminder of cross-team logistics in early-season injury management. For fantasy and betting, this is a vanilla personnel move with limited immediate DI/IDP impact, but it creates a potential waiver wire pivot if Denver upgrades at CB or if the IR returns shift the depth chart.