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From the XFL to the NFL, Broncos WR Michael Bandy has had quite a road
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- From the XFL to the NFL, Broncos WR Michael Bandy has had quite a road
In the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers , Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Bandy , who was just elevated from the practice squad to the game-day roster one day earlier.
Bandy's ensuing exuberant celebration was the culmination of ten years of hard work leading up to his first career touchdown in the NFL. After playing four years of college football at San Diego, Bandy went undrafted in 2020. He then had two stints in "The Spring League" before finally getting an opportunity with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021.
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Bandy spent two years with the Chargers, bouncing between the practice squad and active roster. After that, Bandy spent a season with the XFL's Houston Roughnecks in the spring of 2023. Following that XFL season, he landed in Denver.
Bandy has spent the last two and a half years on the Broncos ' practice squad. He emulates opposing receivers at practice while also learning each WR position in Denver's own offense so he can be ready to fill in at any spot when injuries pop up. Marvin Mims was supposed to be in for Sunday's touchdown play, but Mims was sidelined. "So Bandy jumped in because he knows every position and ends up catching Mims' touchdown," coach Sean Payton said after the game.
"So he's played five years in this league. He's been in 12 games, and we still haven't covered him defensively [at practice]," Payton said. "Each week, I say to the offensive guys, 'We have to find a way to get him up.' He does so many things well, and that was his first touchdown. That was pretty cool to see because his journey is different. The looks, and the tireless effort… that's exciting for the team as well because they know how much he puts into it. That was a good heads-up play."
After the score, Nix and receiver Courtland Sutton started jogging toward Bandy to celebrate with their teammate. After Bandy dropped the ball, Nix and Sutton immediately pivoted and chased it down, retrieving the receiver's first career touchdown ball.
"It tells you everything about the player," Payton said of the players' reactions to Bandy's score.
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"Five years is a long time," Payton said. "He embraces the role, and like I said, [Bandy] can go in at any position and not flinch. That's not easy considering all the formations and plays we have."
Nix was asked about the play after the game, and he gave a lengthy response:
That was an awesome moment. I think that was awesome for several reasons. Mike has not necessarily had the easiest road to the NFL. He hasn't had the most opportunities to have a situation like that, but I think it goes to show that with a little bit of grit, a little bit of determination, you can do what you put your mind to. He's been great for us for the last two years, or at least while I've been here. I know he's been here longer than that, but for the last two years since I've been here, he's helped the defense out extremely with its looks. He does a great job. He's one of the best guys, practice players. He's going to go out there and give you his effort whether he's playing on Sunday or not.
It just translates over to the field when he gets his moment, when he gets his time to go out there and shine. He goes out there and catches a touchdown. It's also cool because that play wasn't even supposed to be for him. It was for somebody else, but they couldn't go that play and he jumped right in, he knew what he was supposed to do and he was in the exact right spot. Sure enough, when you do the right thing, good things happen to you, and there are rewards on the other side. For Michael, it's just awesome to see. I know he's had a very long road, a lot of ups and a lot of downs, a lot of times unfortunately getting cut and then having to fight his way back out. He just continues to do it with a smile on his face, has a great attitude. I think every team needs a Bandy, and I think we have the best one.
Sutton said Bandy "works his butt off" and knows each position in Denver's offense while also giving the defense a great representation of opposing offenses.
"He's just a great dude, man," Sutton said. "So to see him be able to get that… I think Coach [Payton] said it was something around like 350 practices or something that he's had and that was his first touchdown. It just is one of those things that speaks testaments to just staying true to yourself, staying true to the grind, and understanding that your story, your journey, isn't the same as everybody else's. In due time. God's time is different than anything we've ever imagined. I think that's something that is a testament to Bandy's story.
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"He has so much more. We talk about, that's going to be the last time he ever does something but to see him get that first touchdown, it was so exciting. I think we were all just so excited for him. Somebody told me after the game, 'Man, you were more excited for Bandy's touchdown than for your own touchdown,' and I was like, 'I was.' I don't know. The whole situation, it just brings joy to my heart to be able to see someone like him get the recognition from all the hard work that he does behind the scenes."
Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, who overlapped with Bandy with the Chargers, said "no one deserved it more than" him.
"It's a benefit of being a guy who knows every position," Lombardi said. "It's just like, 'Hey, you go play 'Z' on this play, you go play 'X.'' He can do it all. He knows the offense so well, and no one deserved it more than him. I was thrilled."
Bandy, 28, started his journey to professional football at San Diego in 2016. Ten years later, after five years in the NFL, he now has a touchdown catch on his resume.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Bo Nix says every team needs a Michael Bandy
