Broncos HC Excited Over Return of 'Infectious' Defender

With the Denver Broncos starved for depth along the defensive line, head coach Sean Payton has welcomed the return of former fourth-round pick Eyioma Uwazurike, who's participating fully in training camp for the first time in over two calendar years.

“It’s good to have him," Payton told reporters last week. "It’s hard to be gone a year, and he was a young player. So to have him now—this is an important camp, training camp and season for him. I thought he stood out a little bit today, it’s hard to obviously without the pads on. His size hits you, his athleticism. How he plays is infectious. So him having a full year heading into this season will serve him well. He was a young prospect. It’s hard for any player who sits a season, so he’s done a good job bouncing back.”

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Uwazurike, 27, made eight appearances as a 2022 rookie for the Broncos before he was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for violating the league's gambling policy, missing the entire 2023 campaign. He was officially reinstated last August.

“‘Enyi’ has taken full responsibility for his actions. I feel like he’s learned from it," general manager George Paton said at the time. "He’s moved forward, he’s shown remorse and been accountable. Since he showed up here, he showed up in shape. He’s only been here for three weeks. He’s not quite there—he’s rusty, but he’s big, he’s athletic, he’s talented and he plays hard. We thought the talent was too much. We love the kid. [He’s] a really good kid who made a mistake. We weren’t able to see him for a year, so when he showed up and he looked like he did, we thought that was really positive that he had been keeping himself in shape. We’re glad he’s here. He’s going to help us.”

Uwazurike played only 84 total snaps (63 defensive) upon his reinstatement, logging 11 combined tackles, one quarterback hit, and a half-sack as the primary reserve behind starting DEs Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers — reps that were meant to whip the 6-foot-6, 320-pounder back into football shape.

“You bring him back slowly," defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said last August. "He hadn’t played football in a while, but he’s a young guy and has a clean injury history, so his body’s intact. Just getting him into football shape, getting back into playing low with his pads. He’s a tall guy, so playing low with his pads. It’s a slow process, but he’s getting there.”

Now with the rust fallen off, Uwazurike — a first-team All-Big 12 selection at Iowa State — can develop over the entirety of the summer, through training camp and into the preseason, hopefully making Payton's assessment come to life.