3 Biggest Takeaways from Broncos GM George Paton on Cutdown Day

Sunday was a busy day in the Mile High City as the Denver Broncos finalized their 53-man roster and, with exhibition play now concluded, began looking ahead to their Sept. 14 regular-season opener.

The Broncos made roughly three dozen transactions ahead of the NFL's cutdown deadline — many of them expected, though a few raised some eyebrows within the fanbase.

General manager George Paton oversaw the roster construction process and was made available to the media to explain said process shortly after the 53 was announced.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from Paton's presser:

RB4 Among The Most Difficult Decisions

It wasn't only surprising that Denver opted to carry four running backs on the final roster; it was a bit of a shocker that Tyler Badie was chosen as the RB4 behind JK Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and Jonah Coleman.

Badie earned the spot over the likes of preseason star Cody Schrader and fourth-year pro Jaleel McLaughlin. Both Schrader and McLaughlin scored touchdowns in last week's preseason finale, but it wasn't enough to stave off their respective pink slips.

Paton explained that giving Badie the nod was "probably the last decision we made," while praising what McLaughlin brought to the backfield.

“Yes, that was really tough," he told reporters on Sunday. "Really all three of those runners, they’re all really good runners, they’re all different. A lot goes into it, obviously. [RB] Jaleel [McLaughlin], he’s something else. He was really important to this team, the passion, everything he brings. They have two different skill sets without going in too much detail. So without getting into details, it was a really hard decision. Obviously special teams are involved, third-down ability. There’s a lot involved, but that was probably the last decision we made, this fourth runner.”

Ehlinger Too Important to Lose

Fearing he'd land elsewhere if exposed to waivers, the Broncos decided to carry three quarterbacks into the regular season: Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, and Sam Ehlinger. Stidham is expected to reprise his role as QB2, but Ehlinger defied the cutdown process and ultimately forced the club's hand.

Ehlinger, who's entering his second year in Denver, helped his case with a monster showing amid Friday's preseason trouncing of the Minnesota Vikings, completing 15 of 20 passes for 233 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception — good for a sparkling 131.9 QB rating.

“We love the quarterback room," Paton said. "We stated that a lot. [QB] Sam [Ehlinger], ‘Stiddy’ (QB Jarrett Stidham), we thought they both had really good offseasons, really good training camps and in the games. Sam is a big part of this quarterback room. We didn’t want to lose him, and we felt we were going to lose him. He’s too important to our team and just didn’t want to risk doing that. Obviously the game he played the other night was outstanding. We love the room. We’re going to keep the room together.”

Coming Clean on Joly Departure

Aug 28, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Justin Joly (80) pulls in a reception for a touchdown in the second half during a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Speaking of big performances against Minnesota, Joly turned in arguably the biggest play of the Broncos preseason when he exploited a busted coverage and scored an 88-yard TE on a pass from Ehlinger.

Unlike with Ehlinger, however, it wasn't enough to cement a slot on the final roster. A fifth-round selection, Joly was among three 2026 draft picks Denver waived on Sunday, along with seventh-round safety Miles Scott and seventh-round linebacker Red Murdock.

This, despite a weak tight end room headlined by veterans Evan Engram and Adam Trautman, where snaps could eventually become plentiful. This, because of the development that Joly still requires — development the Broncos hope occurs on the practice squad, should he go unclaimed.

“Justin is a talented player. We knew it when we drafted him," Paton said. "We knew he was raw. We still like the player. He was coming on towards the end of training camp. Tight end position is a tough position for a rookie. He missed a lot of the offseason, just a little bit behind. We wish we had another game or two. We still like the player. We think he’s going to have a nice career. You just have to make tough decisions to build the best 53 you can make.”

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