Broncos Sign Failed NFC Special Teamer in Desperate Move

The Chiefs have eight consecutive AFC West titles and their division foes don't look close to toppling Kansas City. While the Chargers and Raiders are both rebuilding under new coaches, the Broncos hope to compete under Sean Payton, though one recent free agency move shows how far away Denver is from contention.

Riley Dixon is the incumbent punter, but the Broncos reportedly signed former Bears punter Trenton Gill. Released by Chicago after the franchise drafted a new punter, Gill ranked dead last in net yards per punt (38.0) in 2023.

He may not ultimately win the punting job, though even signing Gill indicates how desperate these Broncos are.

Broncos Reportedly Sign Former Bears Punter Trenton Gill

It's been a miserable decade for the Broncos after winning the Super Bowl in 2015. Denver's last winning season came in 2016, when they finished third in the AFC West, and the organization finished in last place in the division in three of the last four years.

Gill likely represents nothing more than competition for Dixon, who averaged 41.5 net yards per punt last year to rank 19th in the NFL. Nonetheless, it's never a good sign when you need to bring competition in for your punter.

The Chiefs are moving forward with Matt Araiza after letting Tommy Townsend walk in free agency. It'll be strange not to see Townsend lining up, but I'm confident in Dave Toub's ability to get value out of the position.

I'm equally confident that Denver will continue to struggle. Bo Nix was a massive reach at No. 12 overall, and I think Broncos fans are in for another rough season. We'll soon find out when the Chiefs and Broncos will play when the NFL schedule is officially released, but we can still laugh at Denver's expense in the meantime.

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