Just when the momentum started to seem like it was going in Denver Broncos tight end Caleb Lohner’s favor, some adversity is headed his way.
Broncos reporter Mike Klis broke news on Sunday that Lohner would miss time with lower-body surgery.
Lohner, 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, was a 7th-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft and has been 1 of the more promising out-of-the-box prospects for the Broncos this offseason with his marked improvement from a rookie season he spent on the practice squad.
“Per source, Broncos TE Caleb Lohner will miss the next two weeks of OTAs/minicamp as he had a routine lower-body cleanup procedure this offseason. Lohner expected to be full-go by training camp,” Klis wrote on his official X account. “During rookie camp, Broncos HC Sean Payton singled out Lohner for his impressive second-year development. So, Lohner had a nice head start before his offseason setback.”
Lohner only played 1 season of college football at Utah in 2024 after 4 seasons of college basketball at BYU, Baylor, and Utah.
“A minor setback for Caleb Lohner, who was having an impressive offseason,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote on his official X account. “Good news is he’s expected to be back for training camp.”
Caleb Lohner Earned High Praise From Sean Payton
Participating in the Broncos’ rookie minicamp, Lohner earned some unprompted praise from head coach Sean Payton and some of his new teammates in May.
“I’ll tell you who stood out — Caleb (Lohner),” Payton said. “He’s in great shape. You see his athleticism … everything looks entirely different.”
There’s a chance Lohner, a former college basketball star who only played 1 year of college football at Utah, is using this time as a springboard to landing on another team’s 53-man roster, but for now, he seems completely focused on playing for the Broncos.
“(Going to another team) was in the works, but I told them don’t even bother,” Lohner told 9News Denver’s Mike Klis. “I want to be here. You’ve got a veteran coach here (in Sean Payton). I was in his offensive system for almost a full year. Plus, I didn’t want to leave a team that was going for the Super Bowl and is going for the Super Bowl. Everyone in here all have the same goal. Win the Super Bowl. That’s what you play for. I didn’t want to leave that.”
Broncos Took 2 Tight Ends in 2026 NFL Draft
Also working against Lohner? The Broncos selected 2 tight ends in the 2026 NFL draft, which is more of an indictment against starter Evan Engram, who disappointed in 2025, than it is against Lohner.
The Broncos drafted North Carolina State tight end Justin Joly in the 4th round (No. 152 overall) and Utah tight end Dallen Bentley in the 7th round (No. 256 overall).
“The Broncos moved up 18 spots in the fifth round to snag Joly, who is pro-ready as a receiver at the position,” ESPN’s Jeff Legwold wrote. “He had back-to-back seasons with at least 43 catches for the Wolfpack. He’s physical at the catch point and is unbothered by contact in traffic. That could make him a red-zone option early in his career in a position group that scored just three touchdowns last season for the Broncos, with no tight end averaging more than 9.8 yards per catch. Joly will need to do the work as a blocker, but he has the frame to add more strength.”
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