Kwon Alexander elevated for second-straight week as he settles in for Broncos

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Kwon Alexander is settling in nicely.

Nearly a year after tearing his Achilles tendon while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 30-year-old, 10-year veteran looked like his old self when he made his Denver Broncos debut Oct. 17 at New Orleans.

“Just getting my feet back wet, trying to get everything together, trying to get on the same page. I did smooth, man,” he said. “Just went out there and ran, played hard and got the ball, so that was a big thing. Just trying to capitalize on that.”

Significantly, Alexander didn’t have the injury on his mind as he played for the first time in 340 days, stepping in as the Broncos try to replace Alex Singleton, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 3.

“I ain’t even worrying about it,” Alexander said in the Broncos locker room this week. “It don’t bother me or nothing like that. So, I’m just out there, just 100 percent, going fast and trying to get back to my game.”

He’ll get to build on that Sunday. Alexander was elevated from the practice squad for the second-straight week.

Vance Joseph is the seventh different defensive play-caller for whom Alexander has played during his career. So, Alexander knows his way around various types of defenses — and learning a new scheme. He noted that Joseph’s scheme was most similar to the one in which he played with Pittsburgh last year.

“I’ve really been in a 4-3 my whole career,” Alexander said, adding that this was his second season in a 3-4 alignment.

But Alexander’s challenge was different than in previous years, as he didn’t have a training camp with which to get up to speed. The only comparable situation was when he was traded from San Francisco to New Orleans midway through the 2020 season.

“I’m still picking [the playbook] up,” Alexander said. “I’m gonna be fine, man. I’m learning it a lot faster now. So, it’s smooth. It ain’t that much different.”

And so far, so good. With that 2020 and 2021 experience with the Saints, Alexander is part of the massive ex-New Orleans diaspora taking up residence at Broncos Park Powered By CommonSpirit.

“Sean’s my guy, man,” Alexander said. “… You can’t do nothing but just play hard for him, because he’s gonna give it his all.”

 

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KWON ALEXANDER HAS ONE PRACTICE-SQUAD ELEVATION LEFT

The decision to elevate Kwon Alexander for a second-straight week keeps the clock ticking on a potential move to the 53-player roster. Players can be elevated from the practice squad to the primary roster no more than three times in a season.

Interior offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton became the first Broncos player to hit that limit with the team’s decision to elevate him Saturday.

The Broncos have used 15 elevations on eight different players so far this season:

• Week 1: FB Michael Burton, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
• Week 2: RB Tyler Badie, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey (2)
• Week 3: RB Tyler Badie (2), DB Tanner McCalister
• Week 4: LB Levelle Bailey, DB Tanner McCalister (2)
• Week 5: LB Levelle Bailey (2)
• Week 6: OT Cam Fleming, IOL Calvin Throckmorton
• Week 7: ILB Kwon Alexander, IOL Calvin Throckmorton (2)
• Week 8: ILB Kwon Alexander (2), IOL Calvin Throckmorton (3)