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.

The Broncos rode to a productive showing from the backups in their preseason tilt with the Cardinals, but the night will be remembered for a worrying knee injury to Nick Gargiulo, a seventh‑round rookie from South Carolina who spent 2024 on Denver’s practice squad and had been pushing for a roster spot this season. The injury, seen as potentially season‑ending, compounds Denver’s already lengthy injury report as the team continues to sort depth on the line. Veteran disruptions also loom with Matt Henningsen and Johnny Walker Jr. out for the year, while Drew Sanders and Nate Adkins are expected to miss the start of the season, thinning interior and tackle depth by design.

Fantasy and dynasty managers should take note of the ripple effects. Gargiulo’s loss tightens the competition for reserve OL jobs and could shift who gets late‑season opportunities or practice squad stashes. The Broncos will lean on the next‑man‑up group to absorb more reps in the weeks ahead, and the Cardinals game underscored how critical depth on the line becomes as the roster transitions from preseason depth to regular-season roles. Updates on Gargiulo’s prognosis will matter for late‑round picks and top backup targets alike.

Denver’s preroster cut-day snapshot in camp shows the Broncos managing a thinning injury deck ahead of Thursday’s joint practice with Arizona. OLB Johnny Walker Jr., DE Matt Henningsen, and ILB Drew Sanders are out or limited, with Nik Bonitto present but inactive and Reese Taylor walking with a limp. Nate Adkins is listed as unknown and Damarri Mathis departed, a potential longer-term blow for Denver’s roster plans. Pat Bryant, Denver’s third-round pick, has begun to stamp his mark, making plays from multiple quarterbacks and even delivering a back-shoulder TD. Bo Nix has shown improved accuracy and resilience, connecting with Sutton in the red zone and fueling optimism for the offense. Coaches are balancing workload, emphasizing smart, smart camp practices with minimal risk ahead of the preseason, while reserve defenders like Dondrea Tillman, Que Robinson, and Joshua Pickett have flashed. The special teams emphasis remains a key roster-barometer as Denver weighs the depth for Week 1.

In the top-play segments, Nix’s returns blend with Sutton’s chemistry and Bryant’s all-around grit, underscoring a not-quite-set depth chart that pays off for fantasy managers eyeing Denver’s offense. The defense is stock-piling explosive reserves—Newsome, Pickett, and Jordan Jackson each showing pressure and playmaking. While the injury list softens the path, Bryant’s emergence and a steadier Nix should keep Broncos’ fantasy options alive in August, with a few sleeper defensive pieces flirting with roster spots and special-teams roles shaping the final cuts.