One former Denver Broncos starter is getting another chance in the NFL after 2022 4th-round pick Damarri Mathis signed with the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday.
“Browns have signed former Broncos CB Damarri Mathis and waived CB Dom Jones with a failed physical designation,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account.
Mathis was a 4th-round pick (No. 115 overall) by the Broncos in the 2022 NFL Draft and played 3 seasons in Denver, including starting a career-high 11 games as a rookie.
He lost his starting position to current starting outside cornerback Riley Moss before the 2024 season and was waived by the Broncos as part of their final roster cuts in 2025. Mathis was signed almost immediately by the Carolina Panthers but tore his ACL in practice before getting to play in a regular-season game.
“The Browns signed former Broncos CB Damarri Mathis and waived CB Dom Jones with a failed physical designation, the team announced,” ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi wrote on his official X account. “Mathis, 27, last played in 2024 and has 18 career starts since being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. 5-11, 195 pounds.”
Panthers Possible Trade Target Before Release
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell actually singled the Panthers out as a team that might trade for Mathis before his release by the Broncos.
“Mathis’ best season came with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero in Denver, and he hasn’t been able to reach those same heights since Evero left for Carolina,” Barnwell wrote in August 2025. “The Panthers are set with Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson and nickel corner Chau Smith-Wade as their three starting corners, but Mathis could push the 28-year-old Jackson and serve as Carolina’s primary reserve on the outside. Mathis is owed $3.4 million in 2025, so Denver might essentially buy a draft pick by eating some of that cash.”
Mathis Solidified Draft Stock With Elite 40 Time
Mathis, 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, was an All-ACC pick at the University of Pittsburgh in 2021 with 44 tackles, 2 interceptions and 6 pass deflections, including an interception return for a touchdown.
He solidified his draft stock by running the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds at the NFL scouting combine and registering an incredible, 43.5-inch vertical leap. The Broncos selected him in the fourth round (No. 115 overall) of the 2022 NFL draft.
Mathis played in 33 out of 34 possible games his first 2 seasons with the Broncos, including 17 starts.
In 2024, he started the season on the injured reserve due to an ankle injury and only played in 10 games as Riley Moss took over the other outside starting cornerback spot opposite NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II.
The Broncos doubled down at cornerback in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft by selecting Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron at No. 20 overall.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Legwold, Mathis was a borderline roster cut as the Broncos debated whether they were keeping 5 or 6 cornerbacks on the roster.
“The fate of Damarri Mathis, a former Broncos draft pick, likely hinges on whether the Broncos keep a sixth cornerback or not,” Legwold wrote in August 2025. “The Broncos showed so much quality at corner that some league personnel executives believe former fourth-round pick Mathis could draw some trade interest for a late-Day 3 pick. And because Barron can play in the slot, there is some belief teams might ask about (Ja’Quan) McMillian’s availability.”
The Broncos head into 2026 with 1 of the NFL’s best secondaries. In addition to Surtain, they also have 2-time NFL All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga and up-and-coming safety Brandon Jones.
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