Broncos were poised to give Jordan Jackson a big chance in January — then they didn’t

For the Broncos last year, defensive end Jordan Jackson was a bit player. Playing in a position group that was largely healthy — and also saw its depth bolstered by the addition of third-round pick Sai’vion Jones — Jackson saw his playing time diminish; his defensive snaps plummeted from 310 in 2024 to 85 in the 2025 regular season.

But for a moment last January, he found himself central to the Broncos’ hopes of corralling the Buffalo Bills’ potent ground attack. And when they took the field against the Bills, Jackson was active for merely the sixth time all season.

And as an ESPN article on the intensive preparation of Sean Payton for last year’s AFC Championship Game noted, Payton was angry that defensive coaches pushed for Jackson to be active — but then didn’t see fit to get him on the field for a single defensive snap.

“Zero snaps,” Payton said, per the article. “F—ing criminal. This kid sits on the sideline.”

The intention was for Jackson to play and help stop the run. He didn’t — and the Bills gashed the Broncos for 183 rushing yards.

“Did we stop the run? We didn’t do that. We got our a– kicked in the first half,” Payton said, per the piece.

The article presented the moment as testament of Payton’s attention to detail, focusing on the use of a rotational defensive lineman in a moment when the coach was dealing with the injury-spurred transition from Bo Nix to Jarrett Stidham at quarterback.

But it was also a reminder of Jackson’s frustrating season — and how he may face a more difficult challenge to come this summer.

BRONCOS’ SELECTION OF ONYEDIM CHANGES THE LANDSCAPE

Jackson made the roster despite the addition of Jones, giving the team seven defensive linemen on the 53-player roster. That was something of an upset, given that most 3-4-alignment teams keep just six defensive linemen on the primary roster. But Jackson did so well that the team felt it unwise to waive him.

So, for most of the season, he sat. Zach Allen, Malcolm Roach, D.J. Jones, Franklin-Myers and Enyi Uwazurike got the bulk of the work, with Uwazurike in particular taking the bulk of the snaps that a year earlier had been Jackson’s.

Losing John Franklin-Myers in free agency gave Jackson a chance to move up and back into the five-player rotation. But now he’ll have to fight off Tyler Onyedim, the Broncos’ first draft pick last April — early in the third round as opposed to Jones arriving late in the third round last year.

Draft pedigree ultimately doesn’t matter; the best players last. But Jones’ progress on the practice field caught the eyes of teammates — Franklin-Myers in particular, who praised his growth there. And fellow defensive lineman Matt Henningsen, a 2022 draft pick who was lost to injury during training camp last year, had a strong June.

The roster squeeze might end up claiming Jackson. And yet it would come as no surprise if he dominates in preseason play as he did last year, essentially daring the Broncos to waive him. They chose to hang on to him last year; another similar performance could yield the same result.

But to get consistent playing time, Jackson — who broke into the league in 2022 and toiled for two seasons before finally getting a regular-season shot — will have to show that his progress and potential is greater than that of two third-round picks in the last two drafts, which is no slim task.

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