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Broncos Cut Former Pitt QB
PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers quarterback Ben DiNucci will have to find a new home in the NFL after being released by the squad he spent last season with.
DiNucci, who appeared in 11 games for the Panthers before transferring to James Madison to round out his college career, has been released after playing out the 2023 season on the Denver Broncos practice squad, according to a report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
The #Broncos have released quarterback Ben DiNucci, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 8, 2024
DiNucci was the 2014-15 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Pennsylvania after throwing for a WPIAL record 4,269 yards as a senior and leading Pine-Richland High School to a 15-1 record and AAAA state championship game appearance.
He played sparingly during his first two seasons as a Panther before taking over for the injured Max Browne midway through the 2017 season before he was then unseated by frehsman Kenny Pickett. Upon transferring to James Madison, his career flourished and he earned All-CAA, CAA Offensive Player of the Year and AFCA first-team All-American honors after accounting for 4,010 total yards and 36 touchdowns in 16 games. He led the Dukes to the FCS National Championship Game and was eventually drafted in the seventh round by the Dallas Cowboys.
DiNucci made his NFL debut for the Cowboys in relief of Andy Dalton in October of 2020 and earned his first start two weeks later. He was relegated to a backup role for the remainder of the season and demoted to the practice squad for all of the 2021 campaign. He spent one very successful season in the XFL with the Seattle Sea Dragons, leading the league in most passing categories before catching on with the Broncos following a rookie minicamp tryout in 2023.
Now DiNucci will continue his journeyman NFL career somewhere else.
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STEPHEN THOMPSON
Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper. He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press. During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general. You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work: