The Broncos will have three quarterbacks available for the first time this season when they play at Houston on Sunday.
Denver on Saturday elevated practice squad quarterback Ben DiNucci to the game-day roster, marking the first time Sean Payton’s team has gone into a game this year with a QB potentially in the picture beyond Russell Wilson and backup Jarrett Stidham.
There’s been no indication from the Broncos that either Wilson or Stidham is at any risk of missing the game. Neither has been on the injury report this week or at all during the season.
The NFL changed a rule this offseason to allow teams to have an emergency third quarterback available as an extra player on the game day roster, but only if he is a member of the 53-man roster. DiNucci is not on the 53-man roster, however, so he must be elevated from the practice squad and take up a spot on the regular gameday roster to be eligible to play.
Teams can elevate up to two players per week from the practice squad, and each player can be elevated a maximum of three times.
Denver also elevated practice squad tight end Lucas Krull for the second time this season. He was also on the game-day roster against Buffalo in Week 10 and played 20 snaps on offense. He’s more of a receiving threat than Denver’s three regular tight ends — Adam Trautman, Chris Manhertz and Nate Adkins.
Johnson activated. As expected, wide receiver Brandon Johnson is back.
The second-year pass-catcher was activated off injured reserve Saturday. He missed the minimum four games with a hamstring injury.
It was clear all week he’d be ready to return. Johnson was a full participant in practice Wednesday, and Denver didn’t bother filling Kareem Jackson’s spot on the 53-man roster when he got suspended last week because it knew Johnson would fill it this week.
Browning not fined. Broncos outside linebacker Baron Browning was not fined by the NFL for a crushing hit last week on Cleveland quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
The hit drew a flag for unnecessary roughness on the field, and Thompson-Robinson was knocked out of the game and later diagnosed with a concussion. Even still, the league eventually determined the hit to be a clean one and, thus, did not levy a financial penalty against Browning.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.
