Broncos waive two players as rookie minicamp kicks off

The Denver Broncos have opened up their rookie minicamp ahead of the 2026 season, bringing in all of their new players while mixing in some players who didn't see a lot of action last season and giving tryouts to veterans looking to make the team. 

This is a first in a long evaluation process of what the roster will look like when the season kicks off in September. 

The Broncos needed to make a couple of moves after adding 20 new players to the roster in order to get down to the 90-man limit, and those moves were made official on Friday. The Broncos have waived offensive tackle Marques Cox and linebacker Garrett Nelson. 

Cox was part of the Broncos' undrafted crop of free agents last season. He failed to make the team's 53-man roster but was signed to the practice squad. The Broncos released him in December and he was signed by the Arizona Cardinals. After the season, the Cardinals didn't offer him a new contract and he came back to Denver on a future deal. 

Following the signings of Tyler Miller and Gavin Ortega as undrafted free agents a couple of weeks ago, the Broncos felt it was time to move on from Cox again. 

Nelson is another player who has had multiple stints in Denver without seeing any time on the field. The team signed him last July after undrafted free agent Johnny Walker went down with a season-ending injury. He was waived following the preseason and signed to the practice squad of the New Orleans Saints, but they released him in October. 

HOT READ: NFL Schedule 2026: Broncos' predicted schedule includes major holiday rematch

The Broncos brought him back to and from the practice squad a few times before waiving him again on Friday. He faced long odds to make the team. An undrafted free agent out of Nebraska in 2023, Nelson has been on the roster of four different NFL teams but has yet to appear in a regular-season game. 

More Broncos Content

Broncos Undrafted Rookie Spotlight: Ahmari Harvey looks to add depth in secondary

Broncos' best offseason move has almost been forgotten

Broncos bringing in multiple quarterbacks to minicamp, including son of Hall of Famer

Broncos' free agency prediction spurns AFC West rival, flips weakness into major strength