Denver Broncos inside linebacker Levelle Bailey’s preseason debut turned into a costly one Friday night, with 9NEWS’ Mike Klis reporting that Bailey suffered a broken leg in the team’s 27-7 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
According to Klis, “Bailey is expected to undergo surgery and miss extensive time, according to the source,” which puts the second-year linebacker in line for a long stint on injured reserve.
Bailey’s injury cuts into a position group that already had plenty of competition brewing. The Broncos liked him enough to keep him on the 53-man roster as a rookie after an impressive preseason in 2024, and after spending time on the practice squad in 2025, he eventually got elevated back into the mix. Through 13 appearances, he has totaled five combined tackles.
Sean Payton made it clear last year that Bailey had taken a real step forward. “I think you’re getting a player into his second year with confidence,” Payton remarked last year.
“He’s in good shape. He looks like an NFL linebacker, too...
I’m glad we stayed patient in that process with him and we were able to get him because there were a number of teams interested. I would say I’ve clearly seen a jump from Year 1 to Year 2 in his confidence.”
That confidence had Bailey in the middle of a battle for a 2026 roster spot, where he and second-year pro Karene Reid were both trying to hold off the rest of the pack. The Broncos are “high on” both players, and Payton reinforced that last summer when he said, “Second year in the program, [he] took that next step, playing Mike linebacker and got stronger, did everything in the offseason that we asked.
We feel like he’s going to be a good player. We’re high on both these players, and so we’re lucky to have them both.”
Bailey finished the Falcons game with one tackle, but the bigger story is what his absence does to Denver’s depth chart. With him out, the Broncos will lean more heavily on Reid, seventh-round rookie Red Murdock and possibly UDFA Taurean York behind starters Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad.
There were encouraging flashes from that group in Atlanta. Murdock led Denver with eight tackles, including four solo stops.
York added two tackles, one for a loss. Reid also recorded two tackles and broke up a pass that turned into a Riley Moss interception.
The Broncos could still add help from outside if they want extra linebacker insurance, but for now it looks like the job is there for the incumbents to sort out. The competition isn’t going away - it’s just become a lot more important.
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