Broncos Send Message After Rookie Draft Pick Gets Notice From NFL
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Pat Bryant #13 of the Denver Broncos runs with the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Denver Broncos have seen their young playmakers take leading roles in critical moments this season, and one of them, Pat Bryant, garnered attention from the NFL after his performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11.
The No. 74 overall pick of the 2025 draft, Bryant arrived amid lofty comparisons.
And while it has taken time, Bryant has seen a tremendous uptick in production over the last four weeks for the Broncos, who boast the best record in the NFL at 92 entering their bye.
Pat Bryant Sparks Message From Broncos After NFL Notice
GettyPat Bryant #13 of the Denver Broncos celebrates against the Arizona Cardinals.
“WR @PatBryant is up for @NFL Rookie of the Week!” the Broncos posted on X on November 18, urging fans to “congratulate” the youngster by reporting and to “vote” for him.
DenverBroncos.com’s Aric DiLalla called it the “most productive performance of his young career, noting Bryant “led all Broncos receivers in receptions in Sunday’s 22-19 win over the Chiefs, with grabs, turning them into 82 yards.
Bryant had a critical 48-yard grab to set up a score, and four of his catches went for first downs.
Bryant is facing stiff competition from his fellow rookie playmakers who were also nominated for their Week 11 showings.
The other nominees are linebackers Carson Schwesinger (Cleveland Browns) and Cody Simon (Arizona Cardinals), running backs Bhayshul Tuten (Jacksonville Jaguars) and TreVeyon Henderson (New England Patriots).
Carolina Panthers wideout Tetairoa McMillan is the final contender Bryant must beat out.
Bryant has 15 receptions for 231 yards and 1 touchdown this season. However, he has a 10-185-1 line on 15 targets over the last four games.
DiLalla noted that Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey, the No. 60 overall pick of the class, won the award for his 3-TD effort in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys. However, Eddie Royal (2008) is the last Broncos receiver to win it.
For Bryant, this is the payoff of what Broncos head coach Sean Payton has said all along.
Sean Payton Was Always High on Pat Bryant
GettyPat Bryant #13 of the Denver Broncos goes through a drill during the offseason program.
Payton compared Bryant to former New Orleans Saints star Michael Thomas, which the Broncos rookie appreciated while making it clear he wanted to carve out his own lane.
However, Payton’s affinity for Bryant went beyond surface-level comparisons.
“There’s little things that we’re coaching up. But you like what you see. I like what I see. And so, he’s tough. And look, there’s things that … you’re immediately on these guys, and that’s good to great. That’s coaching. But interview him, be around him. It’s so important to him,” Payton told reporters following mandatory minicamp in June.
“I would say that’s probably the case with so many of these young guys. It’s not an accident. There’s a profile we’re looking for. And it’s not easy, always. Sometimes that requires more trips and visits. But we’re looking for a certain profile.”
Payton name-dropped Bryant when praising Harvey ahead of the Broncos’ Week 11 showdown against the Chiefs, saying they were “watching Pat Bryant grow right in front of our eyes.”
Bryant can follow up his strong outing in Week 13 against the Washington Commanders.
Dan Quinn Speaks out on Commanders Releasing Kicker Matt Gay Before Bye Week
The NFL is very often a tough business. That’s the overall message Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn delivered when he addressed the team releasing kicker Matt Gay ahead of the team’s bye week.
The Commanders moved on from the veteran kicker the day after he missed two kicks in the league’s first-ever regular season matchup in Spain. One of those misses was a 56-yard attempt in a tie game with 15 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Miami Dolphins defeated the Commanders during overtime of that matchup 16-13.
“Matt has been a fantastic teammate here,” Quinn told the media Tuesday. “An all-time good dude, so really bummed that didn’t work out. But we just felt like this was the change that we needed.
“This is what we think, at this time, is the best decision for the team. When they’re hard like this one because of who the person is, it makes it especially difficult. But you still have to make the decisions that you think are best for the whole team.”
In 10 games this season, Gay made a career-low 68.4% of his field goals.
Gay was particularly struggling from long distance. Of his six misses this season, five of them came from 50 yards or farther away.
The 31-year-old kicker was in his first season with Washington. He has also kicked for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts.
In 100 career NFL games, Gay has made 84% of his field goals. He’s also connected on 96.6% of his extra points.
Gay, who was a Pro Bowler with the Rams in 2021, didn’t miss an extra point in Washington.
Commanders Release Struggling Matt Gay
As is often the case with NFL kickers, Gay’s misses usually came in situations where a made field goal could have resulted in a different outcome for Washington.
That was the case in Spain. In addition to not connecting at the end of regulation, Gay was no good from 51 yards in the middle of the second quarter against the Dolphins.
In Week 6 versus the Chicago Bears, Gay missed a 50-yarder just before halftime. Washington lost that game by one point.
Furthermore, Gay went 1-for-3 against the Green Bay Packers during Week 2. The Commanders fell in that matchup 27-18.
Gay was well on his way to setting a new career high in misses this season. His six misses in just 19 attempts tied his mark in that category last year when he had 37 attempts.
While Gay owns an 84% success rate on field goals in his career, he hasn’t been above that percentage since 2022. From 2020-22, Gay made 92.5% of his field goals.
He spent all three of those seasons with the Rams.
Commanders Add Kicker Jake Moody
To replace Gay, Washington signed Jake Moody off the Bears practice squad Monday.
Moody’s original team, the San Francisco 49ers, waived him after he went 1-for-3 in the 2025 season opener. But the 25-year-old signed with the Bears practice squad, and the team elevated him for two contests in October.
In those two games, Moody went 8-for-9 and made all three of his extra points. Moody connected on four of five attempts in the 25-24 victory against the Commanders.
Seeing that success first hand could be a reason behind Washington poached Moody off the Bears practice squad.
As a rookie in 2023, Moody led the NFL with 60 extra points made. He owns a 76.1% field goal percentage in 34 NFL games.
