Broncos retain a player who did something no other backfield contributor did last season

The Broncos kept a player who did something better than anyone else in his position group in the NFL last year.

Granted, Adam Prentice had a small sample size with which to work, as he touched the football just 17 times. But on 11 of those occasions — including the postseason — he earned the Broncos a first down.

Of the 170 backfield players — running backs, fullbacks and quarterbacks — who touched the football at least 10 times, that first-down conversion rate of 64.7 percent was the highest in the NFL.

Eight of Prentice’s 11 carries moved the chains; three of his six receptions did the same.

Now, being a fullback, what he does with the football is the least of the job description. But that provided outstanding added value for the five-year veteran, who broke into the league with the New Orleans Saints in Sean Payton’s final season there as head coach. Luca Evans of The Denver Post was first to report the Broncos’ move to bring back Prentice.

(Photo by Andrew Mason / Denver Sports)

BRONCOS SIGNED PRENTICE LAST SEASON AFTER LOSING MICHAEL BURTON

The season-ending hamstring injury suffered by Michael Burton led the Broncos to turn to Prentice, who joined the team in the preseason to handle snaps at fullback while Nate Adkins recovered from an ankle injury.

It was the second Broncos stint for Prentice, who broke into the NFL as an undrafted signee by the team in 2021 but did not make it out of the preseason. He latched on with the Saints shortly thereafter.

Denver released Prentice at the cut to 53 but quickly added him to its practice squad, The team used its maximum three practice-squad elevations on him in Weeks 1-3, then promoted him to the 53-player roster.

“We’ve utilized Adam in some of the sub-protection roles. He’s really good, and he’s heavy,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said in December. “He’s good at protection.”

And he’ll be sticking around.

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