The Denver Broncos have gone from looking anywhere for help at wide receiver just 2 years ago to now, headed into 2026, being forced with some really tough decisions as to which players get to stay and which have to go.
ESPN’s Jeff Legwold predicts those decisions could leave a reliable veteran and fan favorite out in the cold, with 6-foot-4, 225-pound wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey left off the latest 53-man roster prediction.
Legwold’s roster model kept 5 wide receivers: Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant. The thing that kept Humphrey off the roster, in Legwold’s version, was the Broncos being predicted to keep 4 tight ends with Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins, and rookie Justin Joly — the only rookie out of the 9 pass catchers on the roster.
Broncos Handed Humphrey New Contract in March
The Broncos showed they’re invested in Humphrey by signing him to a new contract on March 12 — a 1-year, $1.48 million deal.
“The Broncos are re-signing WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, per source,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero wrote on his official X account. “A Sean Payton favorite.”
Humphrey, 27 years old, played for Payton the New Orleans Saints from 2019 to 2021 and is in his second stint with the Broncos under Payton.
“As long as cap hit is low, it doesn’t matter,” Broncos Country Germany wrote on its official X account. “Roster has to be filled to 90 anyway. SP keeps another one of his guys. Prediction: PS + Elevations max at the start.”
Humphrey, 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, saw his pro football career get off to a rough start when he left the University of Texas with one year of eligibility remaining after catching 86 passes for 1,176 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2018 but ran a disastrous, 4.75-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
After Humphrey wasn’t picked in the 2019 NFL draft, he made the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent and played 3 seasons for current Broncos head coach Sean Payton before playing one season for the New England Patriots in 2022.
Brief Stint With New York Giants in 2025
The New York Giants signed Humphrey to a 1-year free agent contract in March 2025, but he was released as part of their final preseason roster cuts before being brought back on the practice squad.
According to Denver 9 News Broncos reporter Mike Klis, Humphrey picked the Giants over an offer to stay with the Broncos.
“Now former Broncos WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey is signing 1-yr deal with Giants,” Klis wrote on his official X account. “Denver did make him offer to return for 3rd season. Humphrey agent Jimmy Gould: ‘A lotta love and respect for Sean (Payton) and Broncos. This is about future opportunity and we felt Giants offered more.’ “
Humphrey ended up playing 3 regular-season games for the Giants before he was signed by the Broncos in November and had 9 receptions for 101 yards and 1 touchdown in 7 games with 2 starts.
In 2024 with the Broncos, Humphrey had career highs of 31 receptions for 293 yards and played in 34 consecutive regular-season games over the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Humphrey is also the rare wide receiver who can impact a game without necessarily having to catch the ball.
“A person requested I put together a cutup of Lil‘Jordan Humphrey‘s dirty work plays that go unnoticed throughout the season, so that is exactly what I did,” Frankie Abbott wrote on his official X account in November 2024. “So sit back, relax, and enjoy nearly 4 minutes of LJH being a demon in the run/screen game and one of Denver’s best YAC WRs.”
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