Payton Shares Why Broncos Re-Signed WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey

Whether due to injury or inconsistent play — or both — the Denver Broncos added some familiar help to their wide receiver corps on Wednesday, signing Lil'Jordan Humphrey off the New York Giants' practice squad.

Humphrey now returns to Denver's 53-man roster after spending the last two seasons under the purview of head coach Sean Payton, who was more than content to reunite with the 27-year-old.

“I think just as we’re into this run, having depth. We know the player really well," Payton told reporters Wednesday. "One of his strengths is his football I.Q. He can play a lot of different spots, and I think it was we had that roster availability. So we’ll see how that plays out. [WR] Mike Bandy has done a great job. We wanted to make sure that during this stretch, we had the depth at that position. But you know exactly what you’re getting from him, and that’s a real good trait to have as a player. Then you can put him in these places where he could excel. It was unusual seeing him on the opponent’s sideline a few weeks back, but we’re glad to have him back.”

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Humphrey's addition was among a slew of moves made by the Broncos this week. The team also signed offensive tackle Garon Christian off the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad, re-signed defensive end Garrett Nelson to the practice squad, placed inside linebacker Karene Reid on injured reserve, and designated linebacker Garret Wallow to return from IR.

Likely Role for LJH

Humphrey is the sixth WR on Denver's active roster, joining Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims, and Trent Sherfield. Although an able pass-catcher, he's better known as an elite blocker on screens and run plays along the perimeter.

In that case, Humphrey could assume the role currently occupied by Sherfield, who did not practice on Wednesday due to a toe injury. Sherfield was signed this offseason for his blocking and special-teams prowess — and neither has amounted to much of a net positive through ten games.

Enter Humphrey.

LJH — Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele (17) is congratulated by wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey (84) after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Injuries Beginning to Mount

Although the Broncos are expected to have Mims, who missed the last two games with a concussion, they'll be without several key players against the Chiefs, including cornerback Patrick Surtain II, running back J.K. Dobbins, and inside linebacker Alex Singleton — all starters. The team also has starting left guard Ben Powers on injured reserve.

While it's easy to find an excuse for the Broncos, neither Payton nor quarterback Bo Nix opted to take that route when discussing the pivotal AFC West tilt.

“Yes, it’s next man up," Nix said Wednesday. "We practice all year long and go through OTAs and training camp with a lot of different pieces to the puzzle for a reason. Right now, whatever happens, you never know what the last game is going to present. I feel like everybody that’s played this sport has missed a game at some point in their life. So it’s a physical game played by tough people so it’s going to always present that challenge. But for us, it’s next man up. Hopefully you get guys back as soon as possible. We have a great training staff that do a really good job with guys that get injured and bruised. For us it’ll be good to get these guys back as we go along, but we also love the guys in the room backing them up. [I] feel like they’re going to do a great job for us.”