Broncos Waive DT Forrest Merrill from Injured Reserve

The Denver Broncos turned in a roster move to the league office Monday, waiving defensive tackle Forrest Merrill from injured reserve with an injury settlement.

Merrill was signed to Denver's training camp roster on Aug. 5. He would be axed 11 days later and, after clearing waivers, reverted to the team's IR list.

A 2021 undrafted free agent, Merrill appeared in four games as a rookie with the Los Angeles Chargers, registering four combined tackles, including two solo stops. The 322-pound defender was waived prior to his sophomore campaign and spent 2022 out of football.

Merrill, 27, spent less than a month with the Seattle Seahawks before arriving to Denver.

As a collegian, Merrill notched 121 tackles (51 solo), 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries across three years (30 games) at Arkansas State.

He was deemed expendable by the Broncos following the return of starting nose tackle Mike Purcell, who played 35.5% of defensive snaps in the Week 1 loss to the Raiders. The club also has DL PJ Mustipher, Tyler Lancaster, and Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi on the practice squad.

"Moving forward in the defensive linemen room, you want young and healthy guys who can play," defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said on Aug. 24.