Report: Giants Cut Former Broncos WR Two Months After Signing Him

Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos could be tempted to add another skill-position player after the New York Giants Lil'Jordan Humphrey.

Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey (84) runs the ball as Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (6) defends during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The New York Giants made a round of cuts on Friday to make room for their rookie class, including undrafted signings. The surprise name on the cutting room floor is former Denver Broncos wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey, per The Athletic's Dan Duggan.

The Broncos were interested in bringing Humphrey back, but the Giants got in front of them, signing him on March 21. Less than two months later, he's back on the market, and Denver could still have interest in a reunion.

The Broncos' interest in bringing Humphrey back was purportedly due to him adding weight and switching to a tight end. Humphrey is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound wide receiver, so to be a tight end, he wouldn’t need to make drastic changes to his body, and he was reportedly open to making the change and working toward it before signing with the Giants. 

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In terms of immediate impact, Denver's one offseason move was signing Evan Engram, but his age and medical history raise concerns. Seventh-round tight end Caleb Lohner is a project, so the Broncos could be interested in Humphrey to help with the depth of the position and give them someone who can fill in for Engram in the event of an injury. 

One thing Humphrey has going for him is that he's a Sean Payton favorite. Payton brought Humphrey in as an undrafted free agent in 2019 when he was still the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

When Payton was traded to the Broncos in 2023, one of the first moves he made was to sign Humphrey. Humphrey managed to stick with the Broncos as a key role player in Payton’s offense, before taking that Giants deal in free agency two months ago. 

In the 2024 season, Humphrey had the second-highest snap count at wide receiver because Payton could trust him in his role, especially as a perimeter blocker. Coaches love guys they can trust, and for Payton, that's especially true. If he can’t trust you, he won’t play you. 

Humphrey did have some issues in Denver, including bad drops and fumbles in critical moments, but the Broncos really trusted him for his blocking ability. That could be why they wanted him to add some weight and become a tight end. 

Now that Humphrey is a free agent again, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Broncos rekindle the tight end thing. The Broncos added to the wide receiver room and filled Humphrey's role as a receiver with the addition of third-rounder Pat Bryant, but the team could still have a role for him at tight end.

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The Broncos could move quickly if they still have that interest, and if they don’t, we'll find out if perhaps Humphrey missed the boat by signing with the Giants, or wore out his welcome.

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