Broncos OLB Jonah Elliss Steps Up as Tillman Forced to Sit Out

Luke Wattenberg wasn't the only player to suffer an injury at Denver Broncos training camp.

Per 9NEWS' Mike Klis, Broncos outside linebacker Dondrea Tillman missed a majority of Monday's practice due to a "slight hamstring issue." Klis added that Tillman participated in some rehab work off to the side.

Head coach Sean Payton failed to mention Tillman's apparent malady — and he wasn't asked about it directly — which presumably means it's minor in nature.

A former undrafted free agent, Tillman is entering his fifth year with the organization after securing nine sacks and 16 quarterback hits across 29 appearances since 2024. He's operated in a strict backup capacity behind Pro Bowler Nik Bonitto and embattled starter Jonathon Cooper.

Tillman, 28, is expected to reprise that role this coming season, an ascending talent in one of the NFL's deepest EDGE units. Both he and second-year 'backer Que Robinson drew praise from Payton during last month's mandatory minicamp.

“Those guys are all getting the work, getting the snaps," he said on June 16. "It’s just so hard for them in these non-padded practices to get the true evaluation. So without me trying to just create nice words… They know what they’re doing. I think for those guys, it becomes a little bit more clear with the pads on.”

Tillman Down, Elliss Up

It's probably a good thing that Denver resisted the urge to move Jonah Elliss from outside to inside linebacker earlier this offseason. That's because Elliss continues to thrive in the former position, repeatedly wreaking havoc amid the early stages of camp.

Defense pretty clear winner in first #Broncos team period today. Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, Jonah Elliss all creating pressure off edge on first day of pads. Rookie ILB Taurean York with a nice snuff-out of a toss to Cody Schrader.
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) August 3, 2026

Much can still change as the preseason ramps up, but Elliss appears to be in the driver's seat for the OLB3 job for which he must fend off Tillman and Robinson. Elliss is also a potential breakout candidate and would likely vault to starter if the Broncos opted to move on from Cooper.

“All the cut-up tape, his production, his ball disruption, it just, for me, felt like, ‘Man, we’re taking a position that’s harder to find, and moving him to a position that we think might be a little bit easier to replace.’ That’s not to say that we can’t package a few things, but I think we felt like he’s really ascending as an edge player, and we didn’t want to disrupt that," Payton conceded on Aug. 1.

Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google