Broncos Make Two Telling Roster Moves Ahead of Chargers Showdown

The Denver Broncos are uncomfortably short on cornerbacks.

With starting cornerback duo Patrick Surtain II (ankle) and Riley Moss (ribs) ruled out of Sunday's road game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Broncos have three remaining cover corners on the active roster.

Unsurprisingly, the Broncos are elevating practice-squad cornerbacks Brent Austin and Sean Fresch Jr. to the active roster for Sunday's game at SoFi Stadium. In response to the injury bug taking a massive bite out of the Broncos' cornerback room last week, the team also signed veteran defensive back Ugo Amadi to the practice squad on Friday.

Amadi has been playing in the NFL since arriving as a Seattle Seahawks fourth-round pick in 2019, and while he has 85 games of experience, two days was not enough time to get him ready to be elevated for Sunday's game against the Chargers.

Austin and Fresch will dress, but beyond some special teams action, they're unlikely to see the field on defense unless an injury befalls Jahdae Barron, Ja'Quan McMillian, or Kris Abrams-Draine (knock on wood). I suppose there's always a chance Vance Joseph could call a dime package that demands four cornerbacks on the field, but time will tell.

What to Know About Austin and Fresch

Brent Austin. — Brent Austin walks on the field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Austin is an undrafted rookie out of Cal. He impressed in training camp, though his preseason play wasn't all that great.

The Broncos saw enough to want to keep the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Austin around on the practice squad. He's a feisty corner who's sticky in coverage and he fancies himself a bit of a ballhawk.

Fresch was signed in June on the heels of the UFL's season coming to an end. He went undrafted out of Rice University in 2025, and although the Kansas City Chiefs invited him to try out at their rookie minicamp, he wasn't signed.

Finding no NFL interest in his services, Rice essentially sat out his rookie season before signing with the UFL's San Antonio Brahmas, but that franchise soon folded, and he was drafted by the St. Louis Battlehawks.

The 5-foot-8, 181-pound Fresch went on to record 41 tackles (29 solo), two sacks, and five passes defensed in 12 contests, and earned All-UFL honors as a punt returner, which was a big reason why the Broncos signed him this summer. Fresch looked excellent as a returner, but I think even the Broncos were surprised by his chops as a cornerback.

We didn't see Fresch flash much in the preseason games as a cornerback, but he had several days of training camp where he landed on the 'Winners' list. He was ultimately waived at the final roster cutdowns, but immediately re-signed to the Broncos' practice squad.

The Takeaway

Ja'Quan McMillian. — Ja'Quan McMillian and Jahdae Barron celebrate a big play. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Broncos are in a precarious position. It's not just that two of their five active corners are injured — it also happens to be the Broncos' top two players at the position.

Surtain and Moss are among the NFL's top cornerback duos, so their absence is almost surely to be felt this week, especially against a quality quarterback of Justin Herbert's caliber. The onus falls on Barron and Abrams-Draine to step up and answer the bell.

Herbert is going to test both Barron and Abrams-Draine, but the one silver lining is that the Chargers are as banged up at wide receiver as the Broncos are at cornerback. The Chargers ruled out Quentin Johnston (chest) and Brenen Thompson (quad) on Friday, while Ladd McConkey (foot) is questionable.

McConkey did not practice this week, so even though he's listed as questionable, it would be a mild surprise if he suits up. Tre' Harris remains healthy and available, though, and he's L.A.'s leading receiver this season.

Beyond Harris, the Chargers have Derius Davis and Marquez Valdes-Scantling on the active roster, and Gary Jennings and Theo Wease Jr. on the practice squad, but neither was elevated for Sunday's game against the Broncos.

The Chargers will have three healthy receivers and tight end Oronde Gadsden II going against McMillian and the Broncos' backup cornerbacks. Hopefully, the Broncos' cornerback trio can hold up and stay healthy.

Barron is coming off an impressive performance in relief of Surtain. And it just so happens that Abrams-Draine's first career inteception came off Herbert. Optimistic harbingers, perhaps.

Herbert is dangerous, as all Broncos fans know, but his offensive line is decimated and missing three starters. If this isn't a get-right game for the Broncos' pass rush, I don't know what is.

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