The Denver Broncos took a gamble when they exposed rookie tight end Justin Joly to waivers as part of the team's final cutdown to its 53-man regular-season roster .
And they lost.
Per the NFL transaction wire, the Miami Dolphins on Monday claimed Joly, ending his brief stint in the Mile High City. The Dolphins also claimed former Broncos cornerback Reese Taylor .
A fifth-round pick in this year's draft, Joly had an uneven training camp in Denver but broke out during last Friday's preseason finale with two receptions for 95 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown that came as a result of busted coverage.
The performance was thought to be enough to secure Joly's spot on the final roster. But it wasn't.
"Justin is a talented player. We knew it when we drafted him. We knew he was raw," general manager George Paton told reporters on Sunday. "We still like the player. He was coming on towards the end of training camp. Tight end position is a tough position for a rookie. He missed a lot of the offseason, just a little bit behind. We wish we had another game or two. We still like the player. We think he's going to have a nice career. You just have to make tough decisions to build the best 53 you can make."
Joly is among several Broncos players who were pink-slipped and won't return to the organization in 2026, along with Taylor, running back Jaleel McLaughlin , and linebacker Taurean York.
The Broncos did manage to bring back a majority of their cuts via the practice squad, such as RB Cody Schrader , LB Red Murdock, and safety Miles Scott.
Aug 28, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Justin Joly (80) in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With Joly officially out of the picture, the Broncos will move forward with the same four TEs they opted to carry into Week 1: Evan Engram , Adam Trautman , Nate Adkins , and rookie Dallen Bentley.
Engram is expected to operate as the down-to-down starter, with Trautman the primary blocker. Adkins and Bentley will provide relief off the bench. Denver also re-signed Lucas Krull to the practice squad and still has Caleb Lohner in tow (albeit on injured reserve).
"He's looked good," Paton said of Lohner. "He was having a really good offseason and obviously had a set back with the foot. We expect him, I'm not sure the timetable, mid-season maybe. Don't hold me to that. He has all the traits: the size, he can run, he has great ball skills being a basketball player. This would have been a really important preseason and training camp for him. He just needs reps. We're still excited about him. He's here every day working, but we won't see him until late October or so."
It's possible the Broncos scour the waiver wire for any potential names of interest; ex-Saints star Taysom Hill has been speculated as a target.
It, too, is possible - if not probable - that the club simply heads into the regular season with the aforementioned four comprising the depth chart.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/broncos/onsi as How Broncos Move Forward After Losing Rookie TE Joly to Dolphins .
