Broncos Add Young ‘Standout’ Playmaker to Roster Before Facing Cowboys

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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton calls a play against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Denver Broncos have tweaked their roster before they take on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8, adding linebacker Jordan Turner to their gameday roster.

Turner is a rookie undrafted free agent. He began his college career at Wisconsin before finishing closer to home at Michigan State in 2024. Turner signed with the Broncos after the 2025 draft and has been a member of their practice squad since.

He will get his first taste of the regular season in Week 8.

Broncos Elevate Jordan Turner to Active Roster

The Broncos announced that “We’ve elevated ILB Jordan Turner for #DALvsDEN,” with a post on X on October 25, drawing attention to a player The Denver Post’s Luca Evans called a “camp standout.”

“Denver has added a young defender to its active roster for Week 8,” DenverBroncos.com’s Aric DiLalla wrote on October 25. “The Broncos elevated rookie inside linebacker Jordan Turner from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, the team announced.

“Turner has yet to appear in a regular-season game, but he recorded 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss and four quarterback hits in preseason action.”

Turner certainly drew attention before the season.

In May, the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson reported, “Among the two rookie tryout players signed, I’m told LB Jordan Turner impressed the #Broncos immediately with the leadership he displayed and his ability to quickly pick up the playbook.”

Broncos Forced to Shuffle Deck at LB

Turner is not the first reserve linebacker the Broncos have turned to amid injuries and disciplinary actions. Specifically, Dre Greenlaw missed the first six games of the season with a quad injury, then received a one-game suspension for “verbally abusing” an official.

“Third ILB to get an elevation so far, joining Levelle Bailey and Garret Wallow (promoted but now on IR),” The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel.

“Makes sense to bring an LB up with Dre Greenlaw suspended.”

Turner joins starter Alex Singleton, Greenlaw’s fill-in Justin Strnad, and fellow rookie UDFA Karene Reid on the Broncos’ active roster for their tilt against the Cowboys. Whether or not he makes it into a game is another story.

Former UDFA Passed Over Again

Turner’s elevation is telling, both for him and Bailey, a 2024 UDFA who is on the Broncos’ practice squad. This marks the sixth consecutive week that the Broncos have opted against elevating Bailey. He was expected to take a step forward this season.

Like Reid (sixth among LBs in 2025), Bailey ranked among NFL.com draft analyst Chad Rueter’s list of the top UDFAs in his class.

Bailey ranked 13th in his group of free agent rookies.

He also appeared in 10 games for the Broncos as a rookie. He logged 5 total tackles and played 147 of his 152 snaps on special teams. However, Bailey has not received a call-up by the Broncos since the regular-season opener.  That was a 20-12 win over the Tennessee Titans.

The Broncos have passed over Bailey multiple times. Moreover, they did so for even less experienced, unproven options in Reid and Turner. That seemingly speaks volumes.

Browns Put Dillon Gabriel on Notice Over Play Across First 3 Starts: Report

The Cleveland Browns still believe in rookie QB Dillon Gabriel, but after three starts the team has notes and increased expectations moving forward.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com laid out the situation on Saturday, October 25, one day ahead of Gabriel’s fourth career start, which will happen on the road against the New England Patriots.

“He hasn’t turned the ball over in his first three starts, which is a huge plus, but now he has to do more to get the passing game up to speed, as does everyone else on offense,” Cabot wrote. “The Browns aren’t pinning the passing woes on Gabriel, although they do recognize that he has to be willing to take some shots when they’re there.”

Shedeur Sanders Will Likely Take Dillon Gabriel’s Starting Job if the Offense Doesn’t Produce More Successfully Soon

GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is waiting in the wings for his chance to start.

If Gabriel doesn’t get the offense rolling on a more consistent basis and as a direct result of his play, it is possible that the team will turn to fellow rookie signal-caller Shedeur Sanders sooner than later.

“The Browns definitely want to see more points from Gabriel and the offense, and don’t have him on a short leash,” Cabot continued. “But the passing game does need to improve, or they’ll undoubtedly find themselves tempted to turn to Sanders sooner than perhaps they want to.”

That transition isn’t likely to happen this week, however, as Sanders reported back tightness to the team on Saturday, which prompted the Browns to bring veteran quarterback Bailey Zappe up from the practice squad.

Even if Sanders were healthy, Gabriel still has considerable rope. The Browns head into their bye week following Sunday’s game against the Patriots, then return to the field for a road contest against the New York Jets on November 9.

It is unclear when the Browns plan to make the change to Sanders or what the catalyst for that move will be if Gabriel performs decently, or better, moving forward. However, Cabot has reported that the team absolutely intends to start Sanders at some point in the season to see what it has in the fifth-round rookie before the 2026 NFL draft next April.

Dillon Gabriel Needs to Hunt More Explosive Plays for Browns Offense, and He Knows It

GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel is under pressure to produce.

Gabriel earned the first victory of his career against the Miami Dolphins last Sunday by a score of 31-6. However, it may have been his least impressive outing as an NFL starter from a statistical standpoint.

He completed 13-of-18 passes for 116 yards in that contest. For the season, Gabriel has tallied 546 passing yards and three TDs in five games played.

The third-round rookie spoke with reporters during the week about the team’s lack of explosive plays.

“Like I’ve said before, you want explosives in the pass game — not only vertical throws, but also maybe a five-yard throw that can go for 20,” Gabriel said. “So any explosives really help.”

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