Broncos Place Offensive Starter on Season-Ending Injured Reserve

The Denver Broncos placed two players on injured reserve Tuesday ahead of the NFL's 53-man roster cutdown deadline — one of which was the season-ending variety.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton revealed in a later press conference that incumbent starting fullback Michael Burton recently underwent surgery for a hamstring injury and will miss the entire 2025 campaign.

The team also moved inside linebacker Drew Sanders to short-term IR, which will cost him at least the first four games of the year. Sanders sustained a foot injury at the onset of training camp in late July.

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A longtime Payton favorite from their stint in New Orleans, Burton joined the Broncos in 2023 and has made all 34 appearances across that span. Strictly a backfield blocker and special teams contributor, he compiled 14 rushes for 17 yards and one touchdown, adding 13 catches for 73 yards and a receiving score.

Burton, who turned 33 in February, signed a one-year extension with the Broncos at the start of the offseason.

"‘Burt’ knows exactly where he’s at. I think he’s one of those guys that when you’re game planning, there are certain things that you may or may not want to do with a certain player," Payton said of Burton in June 2024. "So if we’re doing it with Mike, we know exactly what we’re getting, and we feel like he can do it. It’s a really good strength to have as a player—for the coaches—when you know exactly what you’re getting and you know exactly what you’re not getting. It’s easy to define his role in the kicking game or on offense."

Jul 23, 2025; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos fullback Michael Burton (20) during Denver Broncos Training Camp. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

It's unclear as of this writing how the Broncos will approach the position with Burton done for the season and TE/FB Nate Adkins still recovering from ankle surgery. The club signed and subsequently released former Saints FB Adam Prentice.

"We’ll continue to pay real close attention to the tight end wire and also the fullback," Payton said on Aug. 19. "We had a few of those guys in to work out. We’ve always kind of had an ‘F’. I think quietly Nate was one of those players that I don’t know got a lot of attention, and yet there was a lot of respect around the league and in the locker room for the way he did a number of things. So it’ll be good to get him back when we do. In the meantime, we have to fill that void somehow.”