Sanders Waived, and Denver's Linebacker Room Heads Into Week 1 Two Deep

Drew Sanders is out, and the Broncos' linebacker rotation enters the regular season with exactly two players who logged meaningful snaps in 2025: Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad. That's it. Singleton is 32 and carrying the bulk of the load; Strnad handled the rest. There is no established third option behind them.

This has been the shape of the position for a while now. Levelle Bailey's broken leg in the August 15 preseason game was the earlier blow; Sanders going on injured reserve is the follow-up. Jordan Turner was activated off the NFI list in August and provides some roster presence, but the depth chart heading into Week 1 is thin by any reasonable standard for a team with playoff ambitions.

The linebacker situation fits the broader pattern I've been tracking all camp. The Broncos are carrying real vulnerabilities at linebacker, defensive end, and safety into a season where their 14–3 record from 2025 already came with an asterisk — they won more close games than their point differential suggested they should. The margin for error was already narrow. Losing Sanders before a snap counts makes it narrower.