I give you five Broncos players who I believe are on the roster bubble as the team prepares for their final preseason game.

The Broncos play their final preseason game this Sunday and just a few days after the game, they will need to trim their roster down from 90 players to 53 players. Realistically, most of these roster decisions have already been made as we saw last year when the Broncos traded away tight end Albert Okwuegbunam after his monster performance in the preseason finale. With that said, I still believe there are a handful of Broncos who could be playing for their postseason lives.

Here are the six Broncos players who I believe are currently on the roster bubble and could be playing for their roster spots this Sunday vs. the Cardinals.

1: Quarterback Jarrett Stidham

Is Stidham on the roster bubble? I don’t know. I think he most likely makes the team, but for conversational sake, let’s assume he is. The veteran quarterback was a priority signing for head coach Sean Payton last season and served as the Broncos’ backup for the majority of the season. After the team benched Russell Wilson, Stidham started the final two games of the season and played alright. Not well enough to stop the Broncos from selecting rookie Bo Nix with their 12th overall selection in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and trading for former second overall pick Zach Wilson.

Stidham was the QB1 throughout OTA’s and minicamp and started camp as QB1 as the Broncos started off with a three-man rotation at quarterback. It was soon narrowed down to Stidham and Nix and eventually, as we know, Nix separated himself and earned the starting quarterback job. Now, Stidham is competing for the backup job against Zach Wilson who has been impressing the Broncos coaches with his improvement the past few weeks.

Earlier this week, head coach Sean Payton went out of his way to praise Zach Wilson and yesterday, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi doubled down on this praise. He told reporters that Wilson has had “two outstanding practices” this week and has made half a dozen really impressive throws.

“I think he throws the ball really well and I think the consistency of how he throws the football. As he gets more comfortable with the receivers and what we’re doing, his accuracy has really improved. I think he was disappointed in the game he had on Sunday, but man he’s had two outstanding practices since that game. [He] really made half a dozen throws that are really impressive and surprising that we all look at each other after he threw it.”

Could the Broncos be trying to pump up Wilson’s trade value? Perhaps, but it does seem like Payton and his staff are invested in the rehab project that is Zach Wilson. The arm talent is undeniable and they likely believe they can turn him around after he spends some time with them and eventually turn into a pretty good quarterback. That’s not a player you give up on while also hyping him up just days away from the roster cutdown date.

So, this potentially puts Stidham on the hot seat. He has not had the greatest preseason, is the more expensive option, and is competing against two high-upside young quarterbacks. If they move on from one, he is the logical candidate. Will they though? His performance against the Cardinals this Sunday could help decide his future with the team.

Or he is already locked into a roster spot on the Broncos 53-man roster.

2: Cornerback Damarri Mathis

I am probably lower on Mathis than some of you reading this, but the former fourth-round pick is firmly on the roster bubble in my opinion.

He is coming off a disappointing 2023 season where he was benched in the middle of the season. Mathis entered camp is a competition with second-year corner Riley Moss for a starting job, but it appears he has lost that competition. Now, things are looking bleak for the third-year corner.

I say this because veteran Levi Wallace has returned to practice and was playing ahead of Mathis prior to his injury. Also, rookie cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine has had a strong summer and appears to be a lock to make the roster. So, where does that leave Mathis?

I would assume that Mathis is a sixth corner at best on the roster right now, but that does not guarantee him a roster spot. Those spots go to players who excel on special teams and the Broncos have special teams ace Tremon Smith and reserve safety Keidron Smith making a strong case for a roster spot. I think realistically, both of them have a better chance of making the team than Mathis currently.

I would expect Mathis to get a lot of playing time this Sunday with a chance to prove to the Broncos coaches he should stick around. Ultimately, I believe he could be shopped around by the Broncos before the cutdown period, but we shall see how it plays out.

I could be way off on this projection but in my opinion, Mathis is on the roster bubble and potentially on the outside looking in.

3: Offensive lineman Alex Palczewski

The second-year former undrafted tackle was a standout rookie during camp and the preseason last year and even made the 53-man roster before being placed on the injured reserve. However, things have not gone as smoothly this year and now he could potentially be on the roster bubble as the Broncos reserve offensive line could be in flux.

He has been strictly playing right tackle behind Mike McGlinchey this offseason but due to injuries, he has been getting some work at guard. Early in camp, the Broncos lost Quinn Bailey for the year with an ugly ankle injury, and head coach Sean Payton told reporters afterward that he was projected as their sixth offensive lineman. Bailey is a versatile lineman who could play inside or outside for the Broncos and they have been searching for the next man up and Palczewski has been getting some looks there.

“I think some injuries had something to do with it. We needed some help in there with some of our guards being hurt. It looks like it’s been a really good fit. He has played well there. It’s really valuable, especially when you’re a backup, to have that ability to play multiple positions. He’s gotten in there and really performed well at guard. It really gives you some comfort that he has that flexibility to play both positions.”

I have him on the bubble because he is coming off a game vs. the Packers where he had two penalties (holding and false start) and overall, did not play great. If those errors continue this Sunday vs. the Cardinals, it would be tough to trust him in a key reserve role moving forward and the Broncos could look elsewhere for someone to fill that role.

I think Palczewski is a lock to stick around in some capacity but whether that will be on the roster or practice squad could be determined by how he plays on Sunday (and if they can find an upgrade after cuts have been made).

4: Running back Samaje Perine

Perine entered camp on the hot seat and that seat has only gotten hotter throughout training camp and the preseason.

Emerging rookie Audric Estime has likely bypassed him on the depth chart and had a pretty good pass block rep during the game vs. the Packers. Meanwhile, Perine has not done anything positive of note and had an ugly drop that led to an interception during the Broncos preseason opener vs. the Colts.

Undrafted rookie Blake Watson and Tyler Badie have both flashed in the late stages of these preseason games and give the Broncos some pass-catching upside which is a role Perine had last season.

Is there anything Perine can do during this game to help him make the team? Realistically, probably not. I would imagine the Broncos are currently calling around to see if anyone would trade for the veteran running back, but we shall see.

5/6: Tight end Nate Adkins and fullback Michael Burton

I am going to put this out there right away, I think both make the team. The Broncos are a run-heavy team and both players excel at run blocking and playing on special teams.

So, why do I have them on this list? Well, it’s because both are basically the same player, and if the Broncos keep a third quarterback, a fourth running back, an extra offensive lineman, and so on, one of these two may not make the team.

Burton is a veteran fullback, the oldest player on the roster, but is one of the best lead-blocking fullbacks in the league. With the Broncos expected to be run-heavy this year, you will need a player like Burton. However, you have Nate Adkins who can also play fullback AND can play some tight end and might be the best run blocker on the team. It’s possible that you could let Burton go and let the younger Adkins take over. With that said, you could keep the veteran Burton and waive Adkins, hoping he makes it through waivers, and then sign him to your practice squad.

Again, I think both make the team because Payton values both more than we think, but the roster crunch will make it difficult. Potentially keeping a third quarterback could cost one of these two a roster spot. I don’t think there is anything either player can do to help themselves make the team this Sunday (I think Adkins is at least a lock) but we shall see how it plays out.