A key blocking presence in Denver last season, Chris Manhertz is moving off the Broncos’ roster amid a cap crunch. The team will release the veteran tight end, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates.
The Broncos gave Manhertz a two-year, $6M deal to rejoin Sean Payton last year. Better remembered for his time with the Panthers and Jaguars, Manhertz is an eight-year veteran. His release will save the Broncos just more than $2M in cap space.
“I’ve played long enough in this league to where whatever happens, it’s just business,” Manhertz said, via 9News’ Mike Klis. “Is it disappointing news? Sure. But it’s just business. You take it for what it is.”
Manhertz, 31, played 367 offensive snaps over 16 games for the Broncos last season. Denver’s rushing attack struggled for the most part, and Manhertz (two catches, 16 yards) was a non-factor in the passing game. Manhertz was viewed as one of the game’s better pass-blocking tight ends last year, per Pro Football Focus. Prior to coming to Denver, the former UDFA had spent two seasons in Jacksonville and more than four in Carolina. He only played three games for the Saints; those came in 2016.
The Broncos will need a better answer at tight end in 2024, however, as 2022 third-round pick Greg Dulcich has been an IR mainstay due to chronic hamstring trouble. Denver is close to cap compliance, being less than $1M over as of Friday afternoon. But the team will need to do more work with its roster to be able to afford some free-agency upgrades. The Manhertz release comes a day after the Broncos cut their longest-tenured player, Justin Simmons, to end an eight-season partnership.
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