Broncos Re-Sign Matt Henningsen After Departure of John Franklin-Myers

The Denver Broncos have reached an agreement with yet another current player. Despite not tendering him as a restricted free agent, the Broncos are re-signing defensive lineman Matt Henningsen to a one-year deal, according to The Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson.

The Broncos were without Henningsen last season. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the Broncos' joint practices with the San Francisco 49ers last August, ending his season.

Sean Payton felt bad for Henningsen, saying at the time, "I hate that for him." Henningsen was waived/injured and had to watch all the Broncos' 2025 success while he recovered from his surgery.

Henningsen's Resume

Originally a 2022 sixth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, Henningsen is a great underdog story. Such players have traditionally resonated with the Broncos, and he's no different.

Despite producing an NFL-caliber body of work at the University of Wisconsin, Henningsen wasn't invited to any of the pre-draft all-star games, like the Senior Bowl, or the NFL Scouting Combine. But when his pro day rolled around, he made the NFL look foolish for snubbing him, turning in a 9.33 relative athletic score (out of 10), shining with impressive jumps, and running the short shuttle and 3-cone drills extremely well.

The Broncos drafted him at No. 206 overall, and Henningsen made the initial roster out of training camp as a sixth-round rookie. He dressed for all 17 games, finishing with a sack and 21 tackles as a rookie.

Henningsen appeared in all 17 games again in Year 2, finishing with 19 tackles and two tipped passes at the line of scrimmage. It's kind of been all downhill since then.

In 2024, Henningsen failed to make the 53-man roster out of camp, spending the season on the Broncos' practice squad. The team re-signed him to a reserve/futures contract in January of 2025, and he was geared up to make another run at the roster last summer before the injury bug jumped up and bit him.

Crucial D-Line Depth Post-JFM

Denver Broncos defensive end Matt Henningsen (91) during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings. — Aug 27, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end Matt Henningsen (91) during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

At 26, Henningsen is still young. The Broncos are obviously aware of how his recovery and rehabilitation have gone since that Achilles, and with John Franklin-Myers departing to Tennessee, this is a safe, high-floor move to give the team defensive line options this summer.

The two players who stand to benefit most from Franklin-Myers's departure are Eyioma Uwazurike and Sai'vion Jones. If I had to predict it now, I'd wager that Uwazurike will play a lot on first and second down, with Jones rotating in on third down and in obvious passing situations to rush the quarterback.

A 2025 third-rounder, Jones could take a big leap forward in Year 2 and give Uwazurike a run for his money at that other starting defensive end slot opposite Zach Allen. Such developments are difficult to predict, though, as defensive linemen typically take two to three years to fully turn the NFL corner.

In the meantime, Henningsen's presence gives the Broncos another option. And you never know; competition can create unforeseen outcomes.

For now, there's a hole projected on the defensive line, and someone's going to fill it. Even Malcolm Roach could be part of that solution, although he's been utilized more as a nose tackle, rotating in and out with the starter, D.J. Jones.

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