The Denver Broncos' depth chart became a trending search topic on October 15, 2026, because the team released an updated unofficial version of it before a Thursday Night Football game against the Seattle Seahawks. A single mid-week update combined a game-day lineup announcement with several injury designations, a roster promotion and backup quarterback questions, which is why so many people looked it up at once. The chart itself is not an official league document; teams publish their own versions, and they often change within days as injuries are evaluated.
A depth chart is a team's own listing of who starts at each position and who backs that player up, ordered from first string downward. It is a guide rather than a binding rule: coaches can rotate players, use situational packages and change the order on game day without notice. Because the Broncos published theirs just before kickoff, it acted as the clearest available snapshot of who was expected to suit up against Seattle.
The biggest driver of interest was the defensive backfield, where cornerback Pat Surtain II and safety Talanoa Hufanga were both listed out with ankle injuries, according to Broncos Wire. Hufanga was expected to miss two to three weeks, which removes a starter for multiple games rather than just one. Riley Moss was listed as questionable with a rib injury but did practice during the week, leaving his availability less certain than the two players ruled out.
With Surtain unavailable, Jahdae Barron and Kris Abrams-Draine were the names positioned to cover snaps at corner, per Broncos Wire. Denver also elevated Taylor Rapp, who was in line for his Broncos debut, and Sean Fresch from the practice squad for the game, a move that gives the secondary extra bodies. Elevating practice squad players is a short-term solution, since those players can be used for a limited number of game-day call-ups before a team must decide on a permanent roster spot.
Wide receiver Pat Bryant went on injured reserve with an ankle injury and was set to miss at least three more games, according to Broncos Wire. Injured reserve is a list that removes a player from the active roster for a minimum period, so it changes both the receiving rotation and the roster count. To fill the open spot, Denver promoted Lil'Jordan Humphrey from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
With Bryant out, the listed receivers were Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin and Lil'Jordan Humphrey, per Yahoo Sports. That group mixes established starters with rotational options, and it means targets that might have gone to Bryant now have to be redistributed. Marvin Mims also appears in the return game, so his workload spans offense and special teams.
The depth chart keeps Bo Nix as the starter, with Jarrett Stidham as the backup and Sam Ehlinger third, according to Bolavip and Yahoo Sports. That ordering matters more than usual when a starter's production is being questioned, because it tells you who the coaching staff would turn to first. Naming three quarterbacks on a game-day chart also reflects how teams protect themselves against a mid-game injury at the most important position.
The scrutiny around the quarterback spot comes from a statistical decline in 2026: Nix's completion percentage dropped from 64.3 to 59.9 and his passer rating from 87.8 to 80.8, according to Bolavip. Those are year-over-year comparisons within the same statistic, so the direction of the change is clear even though the exact causes are not. Denver also ranked 30th in total offense at that point, which is a team-wide measure rather than a quarterback-only figure.
Head coach Sean Payton was calling plays instead of offensive coordinator Davis Webb, per NBC Sports. Play-calling responsibility shapes how an offense is sequenced: it decides which concepts are used on which downs and how quickly a coordinator adjusts when a plan is not working. That detail helps explain why the depth chart drew attention beyond the injury list, since the offense's structure was already under review.
J.K. Dobbins was listed first at running back, with RJ Harvey behind him and Tyler Badie third, according to Yahoo Sports. Jonah Coleman remained on injured reserve for at least one more game, which kept him out of the rotation entirely. A three-deep backfield matters because carries and pass-protection snaps are usually split, so the order hints at how the workload was expected to be distributed.
Denver's listed offensive line starters were Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz and Mike McGlinchey, per Yahoo Sports. Broncos Wire reported that Kage Casey and Alex Palczewski were the top backups across the guard spots and right tackle. Offensive line depth is often the least visible part of a depth chart, yet it decides how a team copes if a starter leaves a game mid-series.
Up front, Zach Allen, D.J. Jones and Eyioma Uwazurike were listed as starters, according to Bolavip. Malcolm Roach was also listed as a starter with 203 snaps while Uwazurike had 176, so the front rotates rather than relying on one fixed trio. Snap counts like these are useful because they show actual usage, which can differ from the order printed on the chart.
Edge rusher Jonathon Cooper remained on the commissioner's exempt list because of a felony assault case, with a trial set for March, according to Broncos Wire. The exempt list means a player cannot practice or play while the league reviews the situation, so Cooper was unavailable pending an NFL ruling. This is a roster and availability matter, not a depth-order decision, and it is distinct from an injury designation.
On special teams, the chart listed Wil Lutz at kicker, Jeremy Crawshaw at punter, Mitch Fraboni at long snapper and Marvin Mims as the punt returner, per ESPN. Kick returns were assigned to Tyler Badie and RJ Harvey. Return duties often go to players who also have offensive roles, which is why a running back's depth chart position can affect special teams planning as well.
ESPN's version of the chart listed Bo Nix at quarterback, J.K. Dobbins at running back, Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin at receiver, and Evan Engram at tight end. Yahoo Sports added Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins and Dallen Bentley to the tight end group, noting Bentley had been a healthy scratch all season. Different outlets can publish slightly different versions because they work from the same unofficial team information at different moments.
The defensive backfield was the least settled part of the chart: two starters were ruled out, one was questionable and two practice squad players were elevated. Ja'Quan McMillian and Brent Austin also appeared in the cornerback depth discussion, per Bolavip. For a reader trying to predict the lineup, the reliable takeaway is that the secondary was being patched rather than simply reordered.
Denver was listed as a slight home underdog, and Seattle entered as the reigning Super Bowl LX champion, according to the search results gathered for this update. Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was cleared to play after pre-game doubt. That context explains part of the search interest: a short-week game against a strong opponent amplifies attention on who is and is not available.
Thursday games compress the normal week, so injury designations and practice participation are finalized faster than they would be for a Sunday kickoff. That is why one mid-week depth chart update can carry several changes at once instead of spreading them across several days. For fans and fantasy players, it also means the chart is the last clear look at the lineup before the game starts.
Denver's chart is described as unofficial, which means it reflects the team's own current thinking rather than a league-mandated filing. When reading any depth chart, separate the categories: out means unavailable, questionable means uncertain, and an elevation from the practice squad is a short-term roster move. Mixing those categories together is the most common way readers misjudge who will actually play.
Several items on this chart have longer timelines than the Seattle game: Hufanga's expected two-to-three-week absence, Bryant's minimum three-game injured reserve stay and Coleman's continued IR status. Cooper's availability depends on an NFL ruling and a trial set for March, which is a separate process from injury recovery. Tracking those timelines is more useful than memorizing the printed order, because the order will change as players return.
