Broncos’ Robinson ‘looks like a future starter,’ so, can they get him more reps?

When Broncos coach Sean Payton first publicly floated the idea of giving some inside linebacker snaps to Jonah Elliss, it wasn’t simply about the ascent of the 2024 third-round draft pick and the desire to get him on the field more often. It was to relieve an edge-rusher logjam that forced Que Robinson to be inactive for 12 total games last season — 11 regular season, one in the playoffs — despite his strong preseason and palpable practice-field progress.

In OTAs and minicamp, that notion sailed away. Elliss was doing “too well” on the edge to move.

And thus, with Dondrea Tillman continuing to show the form that gave him a firm place in the edge-rusher rotation the last two seasons, Robinson could still find himself in a squeeze — if everyone on the top two lines of the depth chart is available.

But that’s where the murky legal status of Jonathon Cooper could come into play, as he faces felony charges for an incident last month, with a potential trial date that could come as late as 2027. The Broncos don’t have any cap benefit to moving on from Cooper, and that seems unlikely in the short term, anyway. But their cap also doesn’t take a negative hit if they were to release him, either.

And even if Cooper isn’t convicted on any charges, the NFL could mete out punishment in the form of a multi-game suspension for the incident.

Either way, there could be an opening — if Robinson doesn’t nudge his way into the top-four rotation first. And that’s entirely possible.

“We were able to see a lot of special-teams snaps. He had all the traits, and then it was just projecting what it’s going to look like on the field,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Robinson last month. He’s doing well.”

 

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BRONCOS’ “JOB” IS TO GET ROBINSON MORE CHANCES

Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph acknowledged during OTAs in June that finding more opportunities for Robinson was a necessity.

“When Que played (in 2025), he played really well,” Joseph said. And [he] looked like a guy that can be a future starter for us. So, it’s our job to keep improving with Que and get him more reps.”

And that assessment wasn’t based solely on his sack of New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye during the AFC Championship Game, but what Robinson accomplished quietly over the course of the season, both on the practice field and on game days, including his 118 total snaps — including playoffs — on special teams. When he suited up, he was a core component of that unit, carrying forward his extensive work there from his college days at Alabama.

“When he dressed, he played well for Coach (Darren) Rizzi, and for me,” Joseph said. “Obviously, it’s a year later, and he’s ready for the next step as far as playing more defensive snaps and more team snaps.”

It might take some creativity if Cooper, Tillman and Elliss remain in the mix, which is why the idea of getting Elliss some snaps at inside linebacker arose. But it comes down to a game-day roster composition issue. Ideally, a team has four active inside linebackers and four edge rushers. If Elliss got just enough of a look at off-ball linebacker to justify being a reserve option in a pinch on game days, the Broncos could activate five edge rushers and three pure inside linebackers, for a total of eight players from the defense’s second line — the same number as if they activated four and four of each area.

But that part is beyond Robinson’s control. What he can handle, he does well, evidenced by the consistent pressure he generated during OTAs and minicamp — just like he did last year.

Robinson will do his work and remains likely to continue improving. And if that’s the case, he’ll be too good to sit on Sundays. Further, he’s part of the reason why there’s no indication of Broncos interest in a reunion with Von Miller. They’re already full beyond capacity on the gameday roster with quality edges as it is, thanks to Elliss, Tillman and the rising Robinson.

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