Former Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin is back on a 53-man roster.
The latest career news for the former undrafted free agent comes amid some significant injury news for one of the Broncos’ AFC North rivals, the Cleveland Browns.
“Browns placed RB Dylan Sampson on injured reserve and signed RB Jaleel McLaughlin to their active roster from their practice squad,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported in a post on X on September 15.
The Broncos cut ties with McLaughlin after the deadline to get down to 53 players in August.
Former Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin Added to Browns’ 53-Man Roster
McLaughlin signed with the Browns’ practice squad the following day after his Broncos exit. Two weeks to the day after his departure, he is joining Cleveland’s 53-man roster.
McLaughlin, who turned 26 on September 13, has rushed for 1,093 yards and 3 touchdowns on 226 carries with another 263 yards and 4 touchdowns on 59 receptions. That is 1,356 combined scrimmage yards. He also started nine of the 41 games he appeared in with the Broncos.
He is also their second-leading rusher since the start of the 2023 season, per Stathead.
The Broncos shook up their group this offseason. They added rookie fourth-round pick Jonah Coleman in the 2026 cycle, but he was inactive in Week 1.
They also retained former Baltimore Ravens draft pick Tyler Badie over him and signed former UDFA Cody Schrader to their practice squad. That made it even more unlikely that McLaughlin would return to the Broncos.
He seemingly made that clear following his release, though.
The Broncos will not face the Browns during the 2026 regular season. So, the only way McLaughlin can get some “revenge” against his former team in his current situation is an improbable run to the postseason in Cleveland.
Also notable, despite his previous messaging, he remained an option in theory for the Broncos in case of an emergency.
That is not the case now, not without some sort of compensation to the Browns.
1,300-Yard Former Denver Broncos Running Back Gets Good News