The Denver Broncos released an updated depth chart for Week 1 on Tuesday and new wide receiver Diontae Spencer is listed as the starting punt returner.
“He [is] a good returner,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said of Spencer after practice Monday. “He’s got a lot of experience doing it. He’s quick, he’s fast and he’s a seasoned returner.”
Spencer (5-8, 163 pounds) had a brief stint in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams in 2014 before going on to play for the Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa Redblacks in the Canadian Football League from 2015-2018.
Spencer earned CFL All-Star honors in 2018 and CFL East All-Star honors in 2017 and 2018. He averaged 11.3 yards per punt return in Canada and scored twice. Spencer also averaged 22.0 yards on kickoff returns and 38.8 yards per missed field goal return, adding another score on a returned FG attempt.
After a successful stint in the CFL, Spencer went to training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers this summer but failed to make their 53-man roster. Denver claimed him off waivers earlier this week and he’ll start against the Oakland Raiders on “Monday Night Football” next week, a nationally televised game on ESPN.
Spencer is getting another shot in the NFL and he’s aiming to take advantage of it.
“As the punt returner, you always want to put the offense in good field position and if you can score, that’s a bonus,” Spencer said.
