{"id":16284,"date":"2026-01-25T20:05:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T20:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/broncos-patriots-inactives\/"},"modified":"2026-01-25T20:05:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T20:05:15","slug":"broncos-patriots-inactives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/broncos-patriots-inactives\/","title":{"rendered":"Broncos vs. Patriots Gameday Inactives for AFC Championship Game &#8211; Mile High Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-01-25T18:33:00Z\">Jan 25, 2026, 6:33 PM UTC<\/time> \u2014 The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots released their gameday inactive lists ahead of the AFC Championship Game. Denver saw center Luke Wattenberg activated from the roster while several offensive contributors remained unavailable, including J.K. Dobbins who was not activated off IR. New elevations at receiver and a confirmed active return for rotational lineman Que Robinson shaped Denver\u2019s game-day personnel. Both teams entered the game with line-up adjustments that could affect quarterback protection and special-teams depth.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Luke Wattenberg was activated for Denver, a key interior-line addition aimed at improving protection for Jarrett Stidham.<\/li>\n<li>J.K. Dobbins remained on injured reserve and was not activated for the AFC Championship Game.<\/li>\n<li>Broncos inactive list included Alex Forsyth (C) and wide receiver Troy Franklin, who missed time with a hamstring concern.<\/li>\n<li>Denver elevated Elijah Moore and Michael Bandy from the practice squad; Moore was promoted to the active roster for gameday.<\/li>\n<li>Que Robinson was listed active, giving Denver additional options on special teams and defensive-line rotation.<\/li>\n<li>New England\u2019s gameday inactives included multiple position players, with Tommy DeVito listed among the inactive quarterbacks.<\/li>\n<li>Depth decisions at center and receiver were decisive factors in both teams\u2019 final gameday rosters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>Entering the AFC Championship, both clubs weighed short-term game availability against longer-term roster management. The Broncos had already navigated a midseason quarterback change and the loss of Bo Nix earlier in the postseason window, placing premium value on interior line stability and pass protection. Centers and backup offensive linemen often determine whether a game plan can be executed as designed, especially when a team is relying on pocket time for a squad\u2019s starting or backup quarterback.<\/p>\n<p>New England has routinely prioritized versatility on its gameday roster, balancing offensive-skill depth with defensive and special-teams contributors. In high-stakes playoff games, coaches frequently make conservative calls on soft-tissue injuries \u2014 hamstrings and similar injuries often lead to single-game inactivity if there is any doubt. Elevating practice-squad receivers like Elijah Moore and Michael Bandy reflects that practical approach: preserving health while keeping emergency options available.<\/p>\n<h2>Main Event<\/h2>\n<p>On the day of the AFC Championship Game, Denver confirmed Luke Wattenberg\u2019s activation \u2014 a move aimed directly at shoring up the center position. Wattenberg\u2019s availability reduced pressure on Jarrett Stidham\u2019s immediate blind-side and interior pocket situations, a tactical priority after earlier offensive struggles. Conversely, J.K. Dobbins did not come off injured reserve, leaving Denver with a lighter running-back rotation than they had hoped for coming into the postseason.<\/p>\n<p>Alex Forsyth, listed as questionable during the week, was ultimately inactive, and Sam Mustipher was designated as the backup center on the active roster. That shuffle made the center-to-guard communication on Denver\u2019s front five a focal point during pregame preparations, particularly in short-yardage and blitz-heavy scenarios that New England tends to employ.<\/p>\n<p>Wide receiver Troy Franklin\u2019s hamstring issue kept him off the active roster, prompting Denver to rely on elevated receivers and existing starters to fill his expected snaps. The club elevated Elijah Moore and Michael Bandy from the practice squad earlier in the week; Moore was moved to the active roster for the game to provide immediate depth. Que Robinson, who had appeared on earlier inactives lists, was active and available for special-teams work and snap rotation along the defensive front.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &#038; Implications<\/h2>\n<p>Wattenberg\u2019s activation is significant defensively and strategically: a reliable center helps both run-blocking cohesion and pass-protection calls, which is crucial when a team is protecting a quarterback who has not been the regular starter all season. If Denver\u2019s interior line can prevent immediate penetration, it increases Stidham\u2019s window to find timing routes and reduces pressure-driven turnovers.<\/p>\n<p>The absence of J.K. Dobbins reduces Denver\u2019s options to establish a ground game, shifting more responsibility onto the offensive line and passing game to move the chains. That change can make the Broncos more predictable on early downs, inviting New England to deploy heavier defensive fronts and mix blitz packages in obvious passing situations.<\/p>\n<p>Troy Franklin\u2019s hamstring issue underscores a broader theme: soft-tissue injuries are often handled conservatively in single-elimination postseason play. Elevations of practice-squad receivers indicate the team prioritized roster flexibility; Moore\u2019s promotion signals the coaching staff\u2019s trust in a quick integrator rather than risking the starter returning at less than full strength.<\/p>\n<p>For New England, the mix of inactives alters depth charts on both sides of the ball and emphasizes situational matchups. If the Patriots are missing rotational linemen or back-line defensive pieces, that could press them into shorter substitution patterns and affect late-game stamina and matchups. Coaches in both camps will need to account for these constraints in fourth-quarter personnel packages.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &#038; Data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Team<\/th>\n<th>Player (Position)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Denver Broncos<\/td>\n<td>JL Skinner (S)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Denver Broncos<\/td>\n<td>Alex Forsyth (C)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Denver Broncos<\/td>\n<td>Troy Franklin (WR)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Denver Broncos<\/td>\n<td>Michael Bandy (WR)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Denver Broncos<\/td>\n<td>Karene Reid (ILB)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Denver Broncos<\/td>\n<td>Jordan Jackson (DL)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Denver Broncos<\/td>\n<td>Sai\u2019vion Jones (DE)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New England Patriots<\/td>\n<td>Harold Landry (OLB)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New England Patriots<\/td>\n<td>Kobee Minor (CB)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New England Patriots<\/td>\n<td>Marcus Bryant (OT)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New England Patriots<\/td>\n<td>Caedan Wallace (OG)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New England Patriots<\/td>\n<td>C.J. Dippre (TE)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New England Patriots<\/td>\n<td>Efton Chism (WR)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New England Patriots<\/td>\n<td>Tommy DeVito (QB)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The table above lists each team\u2019s confirmed gameday inactives as published in the teams\u2019 pregame reports. The Broncos\u2019 list emphasizes secondary and depth-line absences, while the Patriots\u2019 list \u2014 as reported \u2014 includes multiple offensive and defensive backups. These rosters shape substitution patterns and special-teams units entering the kickoff.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &#038; Quotes<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Luke Wattenberg was activated for the game and will be available to play center.<\/p>\n<p><cite>Broncos gameday report (team release)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p>J.K. Dobbins remained on injured reserve and was not activated for today\u2019s matchup.<\/p>\n<p><cite>Broncos gameday report (team release)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Elevations at receiver were used to mitigate Troy Franklin\u2019s hamstring absence and preserve depth for special teams.<\/p>\n<p><cite>Mile High Report gameday coverage (media)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Injury &#038; Roster Terminology<\/summary>\n<p>Gameday inactive: a player listed on the 53-man roster who is declared unavailable for that particular game. IR (injured reserve): a roster designation that typically sidelines a player for multiple weeks unless formally designated to return. Practice-squad elevation: a short-term move putting a practice-squad player on the active roster for gameday, often used to cover injuries or game-specific needs. Soft-tissue injury: refers to strains or pulls in muscles or tendons \u2014 these injuries often have variable recovery timelines and are commonly evaluated on a week-by-week basis.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Exact recovery timeline for Troy Franklin\u2019s hamstring was not disclosed; long-term prognosis remains unspecified.<\/li>\n<li>Specific medical details behind J.K. Dobbins\u2019 continued IR designation were not published in the gameday report.<\/li>\n<li>Any behind-the-scenes practice limitations for elevated receivers Elijah Moore and Michael Bandy were not fully detailed in the available report.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<p>Denver\u2019s activation of Luke Wattenberg and the decision to keep certain role players inactive reflect a roster calculus focused on protecting the quarterback and preserving flexibility on special teams. The absence of J.K. Dobbins and Troy Franklin narrows Denver\u2019s options and could force the offense into more predictable passing sequences if the running game cannot be established early.<\/p>\n<p>New England\u2019s inactive list also shapes late-game matchup decisions, but both teams entered the AFC Championship with clear contingency plans: elevated practice-squad players and shuffled interior-line depth. The teams\u2019 inactives underscore that coaching decisions and depth management are as pivotal as in-game play-calling in single-elimination postseason scenarios.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.milehighreport.com\/denver-broncos-injuries\/170820\/inactives-broncos-vs-patriots-afc-championship-game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mile High Report \u2014 Broncos vs. Patriots gameday inactives (media)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jan 25, 2026, 6:33 PM UTC \u2014 The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots released their gameday inactive lists ahead of the AFC Championship Game. Denver saw center Luke Wattenberg activated from the roster while several offensive contributors remained unavailable, including J.K. Dobbins who was not activated off IR. New elevations at receiver and a &#8230; <a title=\"Broncos vs. Patriots Gameday Inactives for AFC Championship Game &#8211; Mile High Report\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/broncos-patriots-inactives\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Broncos vs. Patriots Gameday Inactives for AFC Championship Game &#8211; Mile High Report\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Broncos vs. Patriots Inactives \u2014 AFC Championship | Mile High Report","rank_math_description":"Full gameday inactive lists for the Broncos and Patriots ahead of the AFC Championship on Jan 25, 2026 \u2014 key roster moves, elevations, and what they mean for the matchup.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"broncos, patriots, inactives, afc championship, luke wattenberg","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16284"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16284\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}