In explaining last week's release of wide receiver Josh Reynolds, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton insisted the decision was not personal.
It was, as so often, merely business.
“From a roster management standpoint with Josh, it just became a numbers game," Payton said Monday as Denver emerged from its bye. "He's done a great job. We would have liked to have been able to keep him, but as guys got healthy and came from injured reserve, we had to have space. Some of the younger guys have been playing well, and I wish him the best. He's one of those guys that helped us get to where we're at right now.”
In an outwardly abrupt move, the Broncos waived Reynolds after he appeared in only five games, totaling 183 yards and one touchdown across 12 catches. The veteran wideout had been on injured reserve due to a hand injury and the effects of an October shooting in Denver, of which he was a victim.
Reynolds was claimed off waivers by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 4.
"I just wanted to give thanks to the Broncos Country for accepting me into a top notch organization and giving me a chance to ball," he wrote on social media following his release. "I wish nothing [but the] best for the team and my guys I grinded with all year."
With Reynolds increasingly phased out of the offense, younger receivers Marvin Mims, Devaughn Vele, and Troy Franklin have seen an uptick in snaps opposite Courtland Sutton. Mims scored a 93-yard touchdown in Denver's Week 13 victory over Cleveland, finishing as the club's leading pass-catcher.
