Denver Broncos waive RB Melvin Gordon after fumble vs. Raiders

As the evaluation period approaches, the Denver Broncos are making adjustments. Although there is little chance this club will make the playoffs in 2022, general manager George Paton is still making plans.

On Monday, the Broncos declared that running back Melvin Gordon had been released. In Sunday’s defeat to the Raiders, Gordon lost the ball at a crucial time, continuing a pattern of poor ball retention throughout his time with the Broncos. When Gordon dropped the ball, which Quinn Meinerz recovered, Denver’s offense had possession of the ball on the Raiders’ three-yard line. Maxx Crosby stopped the Broncos’ effort to settle for a field goal.

The Broncos wasted a huge red-zone opportunity, which might have given them a greater advantage at halftime. Gordon’s error served as a spark. Given Gordon’s track record of dropping the football in important situations, Paton and company made the final choice on Monday morning.

Gordon talked with media following Sunday’s defeat and expressed his anger at his blunder.

Gordon said that he was nauseated about it following Sunday’s game. “At this point, I kind of know what happens after that. I punched myself in the foot. I was feeling it today, which has made me a little irritable. When that occurred, I had a vague idea that I would need to find a method to regain my rhythm. I anticipated it would be challenging. After that, I tried to make some headlines here and there, but I was to blame when my share of opportunities started to decline.

Although Gordon accepted responsibility for his error, the Broncos believed that moving on was the

As it currently stands, the Broncos running back room is limited with options after waiving Gordon. Chase Edmonds is expected to be sidelined for several weeks after suffering an ankle injury against the Raiders. Latavius Murray will take over a large share of the carry responsibility going forward and practice squad rushers Marlon Mack and Devine Ozigbo could be elevated to the roster. Denver is also optimistic that they’ll receive Mike Boone back from injured reserve in the next couple of weeks.

Cody Roark is Mile High Sports lead reporter covering the Denver Broncos — Cody covers every practice, every home and away game plus community events related to the organization. He also co-hosts The Afternoon Drive with Aniello Piro on Mile High Sports Radio and is the host of the Locked On Broncos podcast. You can follow Cody on Twitter and Instagram @CodyRoarkNFL.