ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Ahead of Denver's Week 15 matchup with the Cardinals, the Broncos are getting reinforcements.
Outside linebacker Randy Gregory and offensive lineman Billy Turner have been activated from injured reserve, the team announced Saturday.
"We're excited to see both those guys out there," Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett said Friday. "[It was great] seeing Billy out there and watching him be able to practice and execute the plan this week. Then Randy, it's great to see him. It's been a while since he's been out there. We're excited to see what he can do."
Gregory, who has been on injured reserve since suffering a knee injury in a Week 4 game against Las Vegas, was one of the Broncos' top players as the defense established itself as one of the best units in the league to start the season. In his three full games, Gregory tallied two sacks, two forced fumbles, five quarterback hits, seven tackles and two tackles for loss.
Turner, also returning from a knee injury, has not played since Week 10. He appeared in four games and made three starts all at right tackle. Since that game, the Broncos have started veteran Cam Fleming at right tackle and Calvin Anderson at left.
Hackett said Friday that the team is "still working through" whether Fleming would start at left tackle. In a Week 7 game against the Jets — the only previous game this season that both Fleming and Turner started — Fleming played left tackle and Turner played right.
In a corresponding move, the Broncos placed defensive end Dre'Mont Jones on injured reserve. The team previously had one open spot on the active roster.
Jones did not practice this week after suffering a hip injury against the Chiefs. Hackett said Thursday that Jones was seeing hip specialists to "[make] sure we're doing what's right for him."
With just four games left for the Broncos, the move ends Jones' 2022 season. He set a new career high in total tackles (47) and tied previous career highs in sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (nine). He also recorded a forced fumble and 10 quarterback hits.
The Broncos also announced that they have elevated quarterback Jarrett Guarantano and running back Devine Ozigbo to the active roster from the practice squad.
Guarantano will serve as the Broncos' backup quarterback, as Hackett said Friday that Brett Rypien will start and Russell Wilson will be inactive for the game. After Wilson passed the NFL's concussion protocol on Friday, Hackett announced that the organization decided to "give him another week to get ready."
The rookie quarterback and former Arizona Cardinal has yet to appear in a regular-season game. In three preseason games, Guarantano completed 17-of-30 passes for 232 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also ran the ball eight times for 27 yards.
Ozigbo, who has appeared in three games for the Broncos in 2022, has recorded 27 rushing yards and 75 receiving yards in his four-year career.
