Denver Broncos roster review: Tight end Adam Trautman
KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 25: Adam Trautman #82 of the Denver Broncos exits the field at halftime during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 25, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesAdam Trautman is another Sean Payton guy. He was drafted by the Saints in 2020 and headed to Denver in 2023. He's a reliable tight end who can do a little bit of everything that the position requires.
He's been talked about mostly as a blocking tight end. That being said, he's a guy who caught the ball when needed as a reliable target for Nix in the past couple of years, which is the reason the team signed him to an extension this offseason.
Player Profile
Adam Trautman | Tight End | Denver Broncos
- Height: 6' 5''
- Weight: 253 pounds
- Age: 29 years old
- Experience: 7th season
- College: Dayton
- 2025 stats: 20 catches for 195 yards, 1 TD
- Contract
Trautman is the one guy in the tight end room that has no question marks around him over the next two seasons at least. He's a team player, knows the playbook in and out, is a willing run blocker, and can catch down the seam or on the sideline in a pinch.
He's got the history of run blocking under his belt, but seems fairly average to me at the actual job. I tend to think that is because he's developed into a reliable pass catcher to round out what he does. This offense doesn't need a true road-grading 285lb tight end to keep the run game moving. It does need a guy like Trautman who can do either aspect of the job at an average or above-average level at times so that they can stay on schedule or extend drives. Trautman may not be the flashiest of tight ends, but he's the kind of reliable starter every NFL coach wants in the room.
Final WordThe biggest value I see in him on the team is as a veteran resource that is going to help the tight end room develop talent. Young players like Caleb Logner, Justin Joly, and Dallen Bently will be able to learn from him as the season wears on and have an excellent example of how to go about the business of being a professional tight end in this league.
That's not to say I don't think he's a good player. He is. He's not the high-ceiling tight end this roster is yearning for (and has been for years, honestly). He wasn't paid like that because both he and the Broncos know what his fit is on this team.