Lil’Jordan Humphrey was on the Denver Broncos‘ roster midday on Monday.
By the time the Broncos kicked off Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs, though, he was a free agent. The undrafted wideout who began his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints had been cut not long before kickoff.
The move is even more confusing, though, once you see the whole picture.
Because as it turns out, Humphrey is going right back to the Broncos.
Explaining Lil’Jordan Humphrey Release
The Broncos didn’t release Humphrey to get rid of him permanently.
They released him to get rid of him for a single day.
The problem with Humphrey on Monday is that he was on the active roster, but the Broncos needed two of their practice squad players elevated to play. They didn’t have a spot to put Humphrey with the elevations.
So they released him with all intention of signing him back later in the week, according to local media:
In a procedural move, #Broncos are releasing WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey per wire. He will re-sign with team tomorrow after elevated players (Fraboni, Prentice) return to practice squad.
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) September 14, 2026
The Broncos released Lil’Jordan Humphrey, per the wire.
It’s a procedural move. He’ll be back with the team this week.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevens) September 14, 2026
There’s of course always the chance that the Broncos end up making a different move, or that Humphrey decides to pursue something else.
But as it stands, it seems Humphrey is going back to Denver unless proven otherwise.
Lil’Jordan Humphrey Origin
First off, the name — yes, that’s actually his first name.
But about his NFL origin — he was an undrafted 6-foot-4 wide receiver from Texas who caught the Saints’ eyes.
Humphrey appeared in five games as an undrafted player for the Saints in 2019. He got in three more games the following season and had his first three catches, including a touchdown.
In 2021 with the Saints, Humphrey played 10 games and caught 13 passes for 249 yards and two scores.
He then went to the Patriots in 2022, and he was with Denver in 2023 and 2024.
Humphrey began the 2025 season with the New York Giants before making his way back to the Broncos again, where has stayed since.
Humphrey’s best NFL season was 2024 when he had 31 catches for 293 yards.
Last season, he played three games with the Giants and had four catches for 55 yards, then seven more games with the Broncos that included nine catches for 101 yards.
He’s on the fringes of Denver’s roster right now, but the Broncos struggled through the air on Monday night, which could always make them mix it up in a few weeks and give Humphrey a shot.
He’s a big target with a pretty good knack for making plays down the field on the ball in the air when given a chance. Right now, he’s just waiting for his next chance.
Ex-Saints WR Cut Suddenly by Broncos Right Before Week 1 Game