The Denver Broncos made a curious roster decision on Saturday when they elevated third-string quarterback Ben DiNucci from the practice squad to the game-day roster for Week 13 despite starter Russell Wilson and backup Jarrett Stidham both being healthy.
The decision to elevate DiNucci became even more puzzling on Sunday when DiNucci was inactive against the Houston Texans. Denver added him to the active roster only to immediately demote him from the game-day roster, and DiNucci reverted back to the practice squad on Monday.
So, what was the reason for the roster juggling?
Broncos coach Sean Payton was doing a financial favor for the practice squad QB, rewarding him for the work he has done this season.
“It’s a way for us to help a player relative to games up and games on active roster,” Payton explained Monday. “Sometimes it gets competitive with another team trying to take a player from you. I know it’s a little confusing. I think as soon as you guys saw him come up, it’s like, ‘Oh, is something wrong with the other two?’
“It’s a way for us to help invest in someone that we want [and someone who] we see being here as a young, developmental player. That would be the easiest way to explain it.”
NFL players can earn a “credited season” by being on the game-day roster three times. Players can earn an “accrued season” for being on the game-day roster six times. As Henry Chisholm of DNVR Sports pointed out on Twitter/X, credited and accrued seasons are both beneficial for a player’s minimum salary requirements in free agency and retirement benefits.
So DiNucci now has one game under his belt in 2023, even though he was inactive. Two more would give him a credited season, which could increase his salary in 2024. Payton also noted that another team had shown interest in DiNucci, but not recently.
“Yeah, a long time ago, though,” Payton said. “All good.”
So the Broncos do not appear to be in danger of losing DiNucci to another team, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the backup quarterback on the game-day roster at least two more times this season.
