Wil Lutz had a change of heart.
After the veteran kicker agreed to a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier on Monday, he decided to backtrack and return to Denver on a two-year contract, according to his agent, John Perla.
The deal won’t be official until after the 2024 league year begins at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Lutz is coming off a strong season in which he converted 88.2% of his field goal attempts and went 4 for 5 on attempts from 40-49 yards. He had a stretch where he made 12 straight field goal attempts. He also had three games where he buried at least four field goals.
Denver acquired Lutz in a trade last August with the Saints, pairing the kicker with his former New Orleans coach Sean Payton. The Broncos gave up a 2024 seventh round pick in the deal.
Lutz’s arrival to Denver came after the organization released former kicker and Super Bowl champion Brandon McManus last May. Kickers Brett Maher and Elliott Fry spent the entire training camp in a battle for the Broncos’ kicker position, but they were eventually released, leading to Lutz taking over the role.
The Broncos bringing back Lutz was the second move they made on Monday. They also signed former Miami Dolphins safety Brandon Jones to a three-year deal in wake of Justin Simmons’ release, multiple sources told The Denver Post.
Jones is getting $12.5 million guaranteed from Denver on a deal worth $20 million (up to $22.5 million), a source said.
Cushenberry expected to sign with Titans: Broncos center Lloyd Cushenberry is expected to sign with the Tennessee Titans, according to multiple reports. Cushenberry had one of his best seasons as a pro in 2023 and priced himself out of a return to Denver, even though general manager George Paton expressed interest in wanting him back.
With the Broncos in need of a starting center, they could turn to in-house options Alex Forsyth or Luke Wattenberg. Paton said in January that Forsyth, a seventh-round pick in 2023, has the potential to be a starter in the league.
Quarterbacks coming off the market: Free agent quarterbacks are beginning to find new homes. Former Vikings signal caller Kirk Cousins agreed to a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, his agent, Mike McCartney, said on social media. Meanwhile, Gardner Minshew agreed to a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to NFL Network.
Even though the Broncos were unlikely to sign Cousins, Minshew seemed like a reasonable option for Denver. So what’s next for the Broncos? Quarterbacks such as Sam Darnold, Jacoby Brissett and Ryan Tannehill are still on the market. The names are not eye-popping, but they could serve as a bridge quarterback until the Broncos figure out a long-term answer at the position.
