Report: Broncos Steal Chargers OL Ahead of Week 18 Showdown

Important depth at an ailing position.

Oct 21, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Chargers center Sam Mustipher (62) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Perhaps not coincidentally, the Denver Broncos have snatched away a player from the Los Angeles Chargers ahead of their season finale against the ... Los Angeles Chargers.

9NEWS' Mike Klis reported Friday that Denver signed center Sam Mustipher off the Chargers' practice squad and onto its 53-man roster, adding another layer of "intrigue" to a game rife with postseason implications.

Here's some added intrique for Broncos-Chargers' season finale next week: #Broncos are signing center Sam Mustipher off Chargers' practice squad per source. He'll be on Broncos' 53-man roster. Broncos need a backup to Alex Forsyth with Luke Wattenberg down. Mustipher has 63 NFL…

— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) December 26, 2025

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Mustipher, 29, entered the NFL in 2019 as an undrafted free agent and spent his first four seasons with the Chicago Bears. He then had a one-year stopover with the Baltimore Ravens, a cup of coffee with the Broncos in 2024, and various practice-squad stints since.

All told, the 6-foot-3, 306-pound lineman has appeared in 64 career games and made 43 starts -- 40 for Chicago, two for Baltimore, and one for the Chargers.

Mustipher, assuming he dresses versus his former employer, will function as the backup center behind Alex Forsyth for Denver's Week 18 tilt. The team lost incumbent starting C Luke Wattenberg to injured reserve due to a shoulder issue; Wattenberg will miss at least the next three games.

The 13-3 Broncos would clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC, earning a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, by defeating the Chargers -- something they were unable to do when the foes met in September.

Aug 18, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos center Sam Mustipher (61) snaps the ball in the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Forsyth Gets Game Ball

The Broncos' Christmas night victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday was largely forgetabble, a low-scoring affair that felt at times indistinguishable from a preseason contest. But it was a good night for the offensive line, which paved the way for 303 total yards including 128 on the ground.

Head coach and noted Nike sponsor Sean Payton disclosed that he'll be gifting left guard Quinn Meinerz a new pair of Jordans for his hard count that drew Kansas City's Chris Jones offsides late in the game.

Payton also revealed that Forsyth received a game ball for his performance in place of Wattenberg, allowing zero quarterback pressures and no sacks across 72 offensive snaps.

"I'll tell you what was pretty impressive. Alex came in and played really well, got a game ball. It was a tough trip home last year. It's a little life lesson, for someone like him, to come back in a starting role," Payton said, referencing Forsyth's 2024 game-losing blunder against the Chiefs. "That was pretty cool."