We’ve reached the second weekend of the Alliance of American Football, a league that has given hardcore football fans an alternative now that the NFL season is over — and the football was mostly entertaining in the first week.
The AAF has made it clear that it wants to work in conjunction with the NFL, not only giving players a chance to continue their playing careers, but also give them a chance to once again reach the highest level of the game.
With that in mind, who are some former members of the Denver Broncos who should play in this league and perhaps even get back to the NFL at some point?
1. Juwan Thompson
Undrafted out of Duke in 2014, Juwan Thompson was a hard-working, do-it-all player for the Broncos. The team used him in various spots and he could be counted on to come off the bench and give the team some meaningful snaps at the running back spot.
The team released him just prior to the start of the 2017 season, a decision that could not have been easy.
He finished his career with the team with 346 yards rushing and four touchdowns while adding 10 receptions for 76 yards. He was also a terrific special teams player.
Still just 26 years old, there is no reason why this guy shouldn’t still be playing football somewhere.
2. Marcus Rios
The Broncos signed Marcus Rios as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA following the 2017 draft.
Diagnosed with an extremely rare condition known as Aspergillosis just as his college playing career was about to start, Rios had overcome major odds to even make it on an NFL roster.
He appeared in five games for the Broncos but was used sparingly. After being placed on injured reserve following the preseason last year, Rios was released just a couple of weeks later.
However, he is only 24 years old and should get another shot somewhere.
3. Marcus Rush
Marcus Rush spent the last two preseasons with the Broncos, trying to earn a spot as a rotational linebacker. He nearly did last summer.
Signed to the practice squad in 2017, Rush then signed a futures contract and put together a terrific training camp for the team last year. There just wasn’t enough room for him on the 53-man roster.
Rush is 27 years old and has spent time with four NFL teams. He could be a defensive force in the AAF.
4. Carlos Henderson
One of the biggest Broncos draft busts in recent memory, former third-round pick Carlos Henderson is still yet to ever play a regular season down in the NFL.
His situation is a mysterious one, as his play in college at Louisiana Tech showed him to be a dynamic football player.
After a tumultuous tenure in Denver that included a drug arrest before he decided not to report to training camp last summer, the team released him prior to the start of the 2018 season.
The Washington Redskins signed him to a futures deal in late December but released him just one week later. Maybe his heart just isn’t in the game, but if he has any desire to continue his career, it wouldn’t hurt for an AAF team to bring him in and give him a chance to earn his way back.
5. Chad Kelly
Of all the names on the list, this is one that could benefit both the player and the league.
Following a bizarre arrest last season that was the latest in a long list of having his name in the news for the wrong reasons, the Broncos cut ties with Kelly.
Kelly’s talent has hardly ever been questioned and he showed some of that last preseason when he had Broncos fans cheering loudly as he led the offense.
For the AAF, adding a name like Kelly could bring interest in the form of extra television viewers.
For a league with quarterbacks like Christian Hackenberg, Josh Woodrum and Mike Bercovici holding down starting jobs, the AAF could use a guy like Kelly as much as he could use them.
Could he convince an NFL team to give him one more chance if he were to light it up in the AAF?
