Report: Broncos are signing former XFL wide receiver Josh Hammond

According to 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis, the Denver Broncos have signed former XFL wide reveiver Josh Hammond. The team needed receiving depth after receiver Jalen Virgil went down with a knee injury during this past weekend’s preseason loss and will be sidelined for an extended period of time.

Hammond is a 6-0, 194-pound wide receiver who played for the DC Defenders, an XFL team this past year. Before that, he was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent during the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie season in their practice squad and was signed to a reserve/future contract at the end of the season. He was waived by the Jaguars later that year and was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles later that year but was waived before the start of training camp. The New England Patriots signed him last August but he was among their final cuts. He was not signed to an NFL practice squad and remained un-signed until this past November when he signed a contract to join the DC Defenders of the XFL. Now, he joins the Broncos and adds some depth to the receiving position for the remainder preseason game but is likely a long shot to make the team.

Hammonds joins Kendall Hinton, Michael Bandy, Lil Jordan Humphrey, Nick Williams, Taylor Grimes, J.J. Koski, and Montrell Washington as the reserve receivers looking to make the Broncos 53-man roster. Former first-round pick Jerry Jeudy, veteran Courtland Sutton, and rookie Marvin Mims Jr. are locks for a roster spot while second-year receiver Brandon Johnson and former Saints receiver Marquez Callaway have the next best odds of making the team.

After the team lost veteran Tim Patrick for the year to an ACL, K.J. Hamler to a heart condition, and now Jalen Virgil to a knee injury, their depth at receiver has taken a hit. I would not be surprised to see them add to this group during the roster cut down period. Head Coach Sean Payton was not shy about adding to this group in the offseason and could continue to do so before the start of the regular season.