March 14, 2026, 6:00 a.m. MT
The Denver Broncos took three big risks last year when they signed a trio of free agents with notable injury histories.
Denver signed safety Talanoa Hufanga, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and tight end Evan Engram in 2025. Those three deals resulted in one big hit, one big bust and one mixed result. Hufanga earned a second-team All-Pro nod, but Greenlaw missed more than half the season and was cut in 2026. Engram only missed one game, but his production was underwhelming.
During his end-of-season press conference in January, Broncos general manager George Paton was asked about the team’s process for signing free agents with a history of injuries.
“I think we have a really good process,” Paton said. “I think you evaluate each player differently. You don’t want to bring in a bunch of guys who have been hurt, but with Beau Lowery and our medical department, we feel really strong about their opinion.
“If someone has been hurt somewhere else, maybe we feel like we can get them going, and we’ll have a plan, not that other teams don’t. We just feel really strongly about our medical team and our sports performance team where we can bring someone into our environment and they can thrive. I think they have.”
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
Hufanga certainly thrived, and Engram stayed healthy for most of the season. Greenlaw was the one big miss. So after taking three big risks in 2025, Denver’s bringing back two of the players in 2026. Is hitting on two of three considered an acceptable success rate? That’s a question only the team’s front office can answer.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.