No punting competition appears on tap in Denver. If one does eventually form this offseason, it does not appear it will involve Matt Haack. The Broncos released the veteran punter Friday, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.
This move comes shortly after the Broncos drafted Florida punter Jeremy Crawshaw in the sixth round. Crawshaw is now the only punter on Denver’s roster. A journeyman specialist, Haack had joined the team as a free agent before the draft.
Teams who select a punter in a draft generally plan for that player to land the job. The Broncos, as of now, do not look to be making any secret of their plans to install Crawshaw as their punter in 2025 and beyond. Crawshaw’s rookie contract will run through 2028. Haack’s job status certainly changed near the end of the draft, as he would have at least been in line to compete for the gig had Denver not been the first team to draft a punter this year.
Denver made two interesting picks to close the draft, trading down to draft Crawshaw at No. 216 and then using its final choice (No. 241) on seldom-used Utah tight end Caleb Lohner, a converted basketball player. Lohner figures to be competing for a roster spot, while Crawshaw will not. The Broncos have drafted two punters over the past decade, adding Riley Dixon in the 2016 seventh round. Dixon returned to Denver in 2023, but as recent Saints interim HC Darren Rizzi takes the reins as Broncos special teams coordinator, Crawshaw will replace him.
Haack, 30, has punted for five teams over the past four seasons. The former multiyear Dolphins option punted for the Bills, Colts, Browns and Giants from 2021-24. He punted in only five games over the past two seasons, serving as a fill-in option for the past three; the Colts had added Haack as a late-summer replacement for the injured Rigoberto Sanchez.
The Broncos also cut long snapper Zach Triner, Tomasson notes. Triner came in as a temporary option while regular snapper Mitchell Fraboni recovered from back surgery. Fraboni, who became the Denver deep snapper in 2022, was expected to be ready for training camp. It is possible Triner returns, per Tomasson, as the Broncos needed to clear two roster spots by this weekend’s rookie minicamp. Triner spent five-plus seasons in Tampa before a 2024 Miami cameo.