Broncos designate ILB Drew Sanders for return off injured reserve

Drew Sanders might just pull on a Broncos jersey again in 2025.

On Saturday, a source confirmed to The Denver Post that the Broncos have designated the oft-injured inside linebacker for a return off injured reserve. It marked Sanders’ first participation in a team practice since July, when the young ILB tore a tendon in his foot and was carted off during training camp.

In late November, Denver head coach Sean Payton confirmed that the Broncos still anticipated Sanders to play in 2025.

“Yeah, but it’s going to be later,” Payton said then.

Despite Sanders’ recovery and return, his status is still very much up in the air — and will likely depend on how far 14-3 Denver can push into the playoffs. The inside linebacker just did a light walkthrough Saturday, a source told The Post. And he’ll have a long runway to get conditioned, not having played a snap since Denver’s 31-7 loss to Buffalo in January’s AFC wild-card round.

Sanders has had a tumultuous tenure in Denver, spotted with injuries and positional changes. A former blue-chip recruit out of Texas, Sanders was drafted in the third round by the Broncos in 2023 to minimal instant impact, recording 24 tackles in 17 games in his rookie year. He tore his Achilles in the offseason in 2024 and was limited to five total games, recording one sack while playing off the edge.

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Before going down again in training camp, Denver shifted Sanders back to ILB, where the team viewed him as a potential spot-rusher from the inside.

“Obviously, there’s ways where you can pressure that guy from a stack position or to an outside position,” Payton said during OTAs in May. “But, yeah, he’s doing well handling it.”

Denver’s ILB corps has been beset by injuries throughout 2025, with Dre Greenlaw set to return from a hamstring injury during the AFC divisional round next week and Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad both missing time. Sanders could offer depth there and some special-teams reps, if he’s able to ramp up quickly enough. The Broncos will have until February’s Super Bowl to decided whether or not to activate Sanders, if they advance that far.

Payton said Friday that Denver sees “most everyone back” for the playoff run, but Sanders is one of a few who still has an uncertain timetable. Center Luke Wattenberg, who’s eligible to return off injured reserve for the AFC Championship game, is furthest along, a source told The Post Saturday. Safety Brandon Jones and running back J.K. Dobbins’ target dates are still unclear.

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from The Denver Post https://ift.tt/Oly3wAY