Long live the fullback.
Continuing a day — and a week straight, really — of retention, the Broncos agreed to terms on a one-year, veteran-minimum deal with fullback Adam Prentice, a source told The Denver Post on Wednesday afternoon. Prentice, a CSU alumnus, was quietly a key contributor for Denver in 2025, playing 19% of the team’s offensive snaps and 45% of the Broncos’ special-team reps.
As previous incumbent Michael Burton suffered a hamstring injury during training camp, Denver signed Prentice off the street in August to provide depth in head coach Sean Payton’s offense. Burton wound up missing the entire 2025 season, and Prentice had a solid season as a run-blocker and a pass-blocker — not allowing a single quarterback pressure in 25 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Payton also used Prentice as an effective short-yardage weapon in 2025, as the 245-pound fullback recorded 10 first downs on just 16 offensive touches. It’s possible, too, that Payton views Prentice as a supplemental piece in the Broncos’ backfield, as he commented throughout the year on Prentice’s ability to cycle in on a variety of downs.
“We’ve utilized Adam in some of the sub-protection roles,” Payton said in December, a month after Broncos starting RB J.K. Dobbins went down with injury. “He’s really good, and he’s heavy. He’s good at protection. So when you get into maybe some of your longer-yardage situations … he’s converted a few, too.”
Prentice played three years as CSU’s fullback from 2017 to 2019, thriving in the dirty work and recording just 180 yards from scrimmage. He played his final season at South Carolina, where he obtained a master’s degree in structural engineering after graduating with a degree in civil engineering as a Ram.
The fullback began his career in New Orleans, where he overlapped with Payton for a season in 2021. He played four seasons with the Saints under special-teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, who called him an “A-plus guy” in late August.
For a moment this past offseason, Prentice had the sneaking thought his NFL career might be over, as he told The Post in December. Now, he’ll play another season in the same state he called home in college.
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