DENVER - The Broncos will have a key piece back in the secondary for Thursday Night Football, with Riley Moss returning to the lineup after missing last week’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers because of a rib injury.
That matters with Seattle bringing in the NFL’s leading receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The Broncos’ inactive list for the game includes TE Dallen Bentley, OL Kage Casey, QB Sam Ehlinger, S Talanoa Hufanga, DL Jordan Jackson, DL Tyler Onyedim and CB Pat Surtain II. Ehlinger is in uniform as the No. 3 quarterback.
Across the field, the Seahawks will be without running back Zach Charbonnet and linebackers Chazz Surratt and Drake Thomas. All three were ruled out one day earlier.
The Broncos’ inactive list has been a familiar one in 2026, with some names showing up repeatedly. In Week 1, the club was without RB Tyler Badie, TE Dallen Bentley, OL Kage Casey, Ehlinger as the emergency No. 3 quarterback, DL Jordan Jackson and DL Tyler Onyedim.
Week 3 brought another crowded list: Bentley, Casey, Ehlinger, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, DL Sai’vion Jones, WR Marvin Mims Jr. and Onyedim.
Week 4 featured Bentley, Casey, Ehlinger, Onyedim and edge rusher Dondrea Tillman, while Week 5 included Bentley, Casey, Ehlinger, Jackson, Moss, Onyedim and Surtain II.
Looking back at the Broncos’ 2025 inactives, Week 1 included TE Nate Adkins, OT Frank Crum, Ehlinger as the emergency No. 3 quarterback, ILB Dre Greenlaw, DE Sai’vion Jones, RB Jaleel McLaughlin and edge rusher Que Robinson.
Week 2 was the same group except for the order, while Week 3 swapped in TE Evan Engram for Adkins. Week 4 featured Crum, Ehlinger, DE Jordan Jackson, TE Lucas Krull, McLaughlin and Robinson.
Week 5 again had Crum, Ehlinger, Sai’vion Jones, Krull, McLaughlin and Robinson, and Week 6 listed Crum, RB Tyler Badie, Ehlinger, edge rusher Jonah Elliss, Jordan Jackson and Sai’vion Jones.
Week 7 included Elliss, DB J.T. Gray, Jordan Jackson, Sai’vion Jones and McLaughlin, while Week 8 added Ehlinger, Gray, Jordan Jackson, Sai’vion Jones, McLaughlin and Robinson.
Week 9 brought Adkins, Jordan Jackson, Sai’vion Jones, McLaughlin, S P.J. Locke, Marvin Mims Jr. and Surtain II. Week 10 included Adkins, Jordan Jackson, Sai’vion Jones, McLaughlin, Mims Jr., Robinson and Surtain II.
Week 11 listed Adkins, OT Geron Christian, Elliss, Jordan Jackson, Sai’vion Jones, ILB Alex Singleton and Surtain II. Week 13 had Adkins, Christian, Elliss, Jordan Jackson and Sai’vion Jones.
Week 14 featured Adkins, Christian, DL D.J. Jones, Jordan Jackson, Robinson and CB Reese Taylor. Week 15 included WR Pat Bryant, Christian, Ehlinger, Jordan Jackson, Sai’vion Jones, Robinson and Taylor.
Week 16 had Christian, Ehlinger, Jordan Jackson, Sai’vion Jones, RB Cody Schrader, LB Justin Strnad and Taylor, and Week 18 closed the season with Christian, ILB Dre Greenlaw, DE John Franklin-Myers, TE Marcedes Lewis, Robinson and Taylor.
In Other News...
Bo Nix Is Taking Heat For A Broncos Concern Fans Know Too Well
Bo Nixs afternoon against the Seahawks only sharpened a conversation that has been building around the Broncos quarterback, even as Denver remains 4-2 and in a solid early-season position. He completed 17 of 27 passes for 107 yards with no touchdown passes, the lowest passing total of his young season and his first game without finding the end zone through the air.
The issue isnt just one rough stat line, either. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Colin Cowherd both took aim at Nixs playing style, pointing to the frequent checkdowns and the lack of downfield production that can make the offense feel narrower than it should be. For a Broncos team trying to prove it can win with more than just efficiency and defense, the concern is familiar enough to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Secondary Is Creating A Contract Question Denver Can't Ignore
The Broncos are 4-2 after their overtime win against the Seahawks, and the defense keeps making a strong case for why this early surge deserves more than a quick glance. In the secondary, Brandon Jones, Talanoa Hufanga and Ja'Quan McMillian have all had moments that have changed games, with each player standing out in different ways as Denvers back end has become one of the clearer strengths on the roster.
Jones, in particular, has turned his contract year into a bigger conversation than Denver probably wanted this soon, while Hufanga and McMillian have also done enough to make extensions feel like a real front-office issue rather than a future formality. The Broncos have found themselves with a secondary that is producing on the field and raising questions off it, and the longer this continues, the harder it gets to imagine the team letting those discussions wait until later. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Nix Is Already Fueling A Brutal Broncos Debate
Bo Nixs Sunday against the Seahawks did not help quiet the conversation around how the Broncos want their young quarterback to operate. He completed 17 of 27 passes for 107 yards, and the lack of push downfield stood out in a game where Denver needed more from the passing attack. The Broncos are still 4-2, but this was Nixs quietest outing through the air so far and the first time this season he did not throw a touchdown pass.
The reaction around the performance came quickly, with media voices like Ryan Fitzpatrick and Colin Cowherd zeroing in on his tendency to settle for checkdowns instead of challenging defenses deeper. For a Broncos team trying to build around him, that kind of critique is more than background noise because it speaks directly to the style they think can work long term. The bigger question now is whether this was just a rough afternoon or a sign of a debate that is only going to get louder. [Read more 🡒]