The Broncos waived QB Christian Ponder on Tuesday, leaving them with 52 players on the primary roster, including three quarterbacks — one of whom, Peyton Manning, will not play this week as he continues his recovery from a plantar fascia tear.
The roster vacancy leaves the Broncos room to make a move as soon as Wednesday. That spot could be used to address the safety position, which is coping with injuries to T.J. Ward, David Bruton Jr. and Omar Bolden.
Well, at least he fulfilled his lifelong dream of being a member of the Broncos, even for a short period. I’m sure that those who want to drum up the specter of more quarterback drama will argue that it’s a sign of Peyton Manning inching closer to a return. But I think Occam’s Razor heavily weighs in favor of Mason’s second paragraph: with all the injuries at safety, the team likely can’t afford to occupy a roster spot with a fourth quarterback. Should that change, Ponder can likely be brought back at any time.
One more angle to consider is the fact that Manning has not been traveling to road games since he’s been inactive. With three of the final four games of the regular season at home, Manning can fill the role of the veteran quarterback helping out Brock Osweiler while the game is in progress, instead of Ponder.
In addition, Mason notes of a minor move made to the practice squad, encapsulated in this tweet by Aaron Wilson below.
Broncos cut offensive tackle Antonio Johnson from practice squad, sign offensive lineman Cameron Jefferson to practice squad
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 8, 2015