CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Broncos are heading into their game against the Panthers short-handed at safety, with both of their starters unavailable.
Talanoa Hufanga will sit out for a fourth straight week after injuring his ankle in the third quarter of Denver’s Oct. 11 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He had been limited in practice all week, marking his first on-field work since the injury. Brandon Jones was ruled out Friday with a hamstring injury, leaving Denver to turn to a backup pairing again after using that setup in the second half last week.
Denver’s inactive list for the game includes CB Kris Abrams-Draine, TE Dallen Bentley, OL Kage Casey, QB Sam Ehlinger, S Talanoa Hufanga, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey and S Brandon Jones. Ehlinger is in uniform as the No. 3 quarterback.
With both first-team safeties unavailable, third-round pick Tyler Onyedim is set for his regular-season debut. He had been inactive for the first eight games.
The Broncos’ inactive list has stayed busy throughout the season. In Week 1, the group included RB Tyler Badie, TE Dallen Bentley, OL Kage Casey, QB Sam Ehlinger, DL Jordan Jackson and DL Tyler Onyedim.
Week 2 brought a similar mix, with RB RJ Harvey, WR Marvin Mims Jr. and DL Tyler Onyedim joining the list. Week 4 included edge rusher Dondrea Tillman, while Week 5 featured CB Riley Moss and CB Pat Surtain II.
Hufanga first appeared on the inactive list in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, while Jordan Jackson, Tyler Onyedim and others continued to cycle through. From there, the Broncos’ inactive reports kept shifting week to week, with names such as Nate Adkins, Frank Crum, Evan Engram, Lucas Krull, J.T.
Gray, P.J. Locke, Alex Singleton, Geron Christian, D.J.
Jones, Reese Taylor, Cody Schrader, Justin Strnad, Marcedes Lewis and John Franklin-Myers all appearing at different points during the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
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