DENVER — Riley Dixon has won the Broncos’ punting duel.
The Broncos’ incumbent punter, Dixon received a major challenge during OTAs, training camp and the preseason from former Chicago Bears’ punter Trenton Gill.
Sources told 9NEWS that Gill was notified by the Broncos he will be included among the team's final roster cuts at 2 p.m. Tuesday. This despite Gill booming his punts during the Broncos’ preseason finale Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
Gill wound up leading all NFL preseason punters with a 53.6-yard gross average and 48.6-yard net average off his five punts.
But Dixon has more experience – he is going into his ninth NFL season, fourth with the Broncos over two stints – and seemed to be the more consistent punter during OTAs and training camp. Dixon also punted well in the preseason and is considered one of the NFL’s best holders.
Mathis injury update
The MRI exam on Damarri Mathis’ right ankle Monday morning revealed a high-ankle sprain, a source told 9NEWS.
There’s no timetable on Mathis’ returns as no two high-ankle sprains are alike. However, the timing was not ideal for Mathis as the team must trim its 90-man roster to 53 players by 2 p.m. MDT Tuesday. Mathis was going to make the team as the No. 3 cornerback and core special teams player.
It’s possible the Broncos massage the roster so Mathis is placed on short-term IR with the possibility of bringing him back early in the regular season.
Mathis, 25, was the first of the Broncos’ two, fourth-round draft picks in 2022 out of Pitt (Iowa State defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike was the other). A physical-type corner, Mathis wound up starting 11 games as a rookie and opened last season as the starting outside cornerback opposite Pat Surtain.
But after struggling in coverage in the early going, Mathis was replaced in the starting lineup prior to game 7 against Green Bay by veteran Fabian Moreau.
Mathis competed with second-year player Riley Moss for the No. 2 cornerback spot this year but it was Moss who primarily worked with the No. 1 defense beginning last week.
Mathis suffered his ankle injury in the Broncos’ final preseason game Sunday on the second play against the Arizona Cardinals. He was carted off the field by cart and while X-Rays were negative, a follow-up MRI exam revealed the high ankle sprain.
Levi Wallace, a veteran coming back from an early training camp hamstring injury, is available to fill Mathis’ No. 3 cornerback role in the early part of the season.
Broncos officially cut 8 players
The Broncos officially waived cornerback Art Green, who spent all of last season on Denver’s practice squad, former Air Force inside linebacker Alec Mock, former Colorado State guard Oliver Jervis, cornerback Kaleb Hayes and rookie defensive back Omar Brown.
The team also released vested veterans Phillip Dorsett, a 10--year receiver, defensive tackle Angelo Blackson and inside linebacker Andre Smith.
Green missed one week of training camp with a concussion but returned last week and played 51 of the 66 defensive snaps for the Broncos in their final preseason game Sunday.
Mock has been on-and-off the Broncos’ roster since he was signed as an undrafted rookie in late-April. Hayes was claimed off waivers from the New York Giants two weeks ago.
Jervis was signed early in training camp after the Broncos lost versatile offensive lineman Quinn Bailey to a season-ending ankle injury.
Brown, a safety from Nebraska, was given a $245,000 contract guarantee when he signed with the Broncos as an undrafted rookie in April. That means Brown is almost certain to return to the Broncos' practice squad.
Blackson, a 10-year veteran, was a strong candidate for the Broncos' fifth or sixth defensive line positions. Those spots figure to go to Air Force product Jordan Jackson and Eyioma Uwazurike.
Smith was signed he won a tryout during the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp.
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