Jordan Turner picked a good time to get healthy. The Denver Broncos took the linebacker off the non-football injury (NFI) list on Monday, and he returned to practice after passing a physical. He had been sidelined since late July, most likely after getting hurt away from the team.
His timing matters. The Broncos have a real opening at the back of their linebacker room, and missing the first stretch of camp had put Turner’s spot in doubt. Now he has a few weeks to make his case.
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The job that is up for grabs
Denver’s two starting inside linebackers are set. Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad return as the top two. The open question is who lines up behind them as the third linebacker, the “next man up” if a starter goes down.
That role is wide open, and the Broncos did not bring in a big-name veteran to fill it. Instead, they are letting a group of young players fight for what looks like about two backup spots.
Who Turner is competing with
It is a crowded group, and most of them are young, cheap, and still unproven:
- Karene Reid — a 2025 undrafted find out of Utah who made the roster last year before a hamstring injury ended his season early. He is strong on special teams.
- Levelle Bailey — has been in the building the longest of this group and knows the defense well.
- Red Murdock — the final pick of the 2026 draft, known as “Mr. Irrelevant.” He set an FCS record with 17 career forced fumbles at Buffalo.
- Taurean York — a high-profile undrafted rookie from Texas A&M. He is only 20 and was a second-team All-SEC pick last season.
Turner fits right in with that mix. He signed as an undrafted free agent in 2025 out of Michigan State, made his NFL debut in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys, and played in seven games as a rookie, mostly on special teams.
What to watch
With so many young players and so few spots, special teams could be the tiebreaker. Coordinator Darren Rizzi’s units often decide which backups stick, so the linebacker who covers kicks and punts well will have an edge. Head coach Sean Payton has said he is genuinely curious to see who separates from the pack.
The preseason is where this gets settled. Denver opens on the road against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday, and games like that give Turner, Reid, York, and the rest their best chance to prove they belong.
For Turner, the message is simple. He is healthy again, the door is open, and the clock is running.
