Broncos TE Caleb Lohner to miss remaining offseason work after lower-body cleanup procedure

Denver tight end Caleb Lohner is expected to miss the rest of the offseason program after undergoing a lower-body cleanup procedure, according to Mike Klis of 9News Denver as reported by Yahoo Sports on June 8, 2026. The timing matters because late-spring practices are often where a rookie tight end closes the gap on routes, blocking assignments, and the small timing details that coaches build toward camp and the preseason.

While the reports do not specify the exact body part beyond “lower body,” multiple accounts characterize the procedure as routine cleanup. CBS Sports, citing the same 9News Denver reporting, said Lohner should miss about two weeks and be fully ready for training camp. The common through-line is that there is no suggestion of a major setback, but the window still removes live reps from a player still early in his NFL development timeline.

Lohner’s situation is especially notable in context of how Denver acquired him. The Broncos selected the Utah tight end in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 241st overall pick, and their draft material highlighted his unusual path from basketball to football. Before joining Utah’s football program, Denver noted that he played basketball at BYU and Baylor, and once he arrived on the gridiron, he made a short but loud impact.

At Utah in 2024, Lohner appeared in all 12 games and produced touchdown results quickly. Utah’s official roster bio says he made four catches, and all four went for touchdowns, plus he added a two-point conversion catch. That efficiency is part of why his NFL transition drew attention, even though his overall football snaps at the college level were limited compared with most prospects.

Denver’s own team release from the draft also placed Lohner in a TE room that included multiple experienced players. It named Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, and Nate Adkins among the tight ends on the roster at the time. That depth is a reminder that his progress does not happen in isolation, it happens inside a competitive room where reps are rationed and development is measured practice by practice.

The Broncos also have treated Lohner as a developmental project with upside, not as an immediate starter. In late January 2026, Denver announced that it elevated Lohner from the practice squad for a Divisional Round game against Buffalo, while stating he had spent the season on the practice squad. That sequence, plus the expectation that he will be ready for camp after this procedure, frames the most likely next step as catching up on football work rather than jumping ahead of the organizational plan.

In May, Denver’s head coach also publicly drew attention to Lohner’s standout early showing. In a team video dated May 9, 2026, Sean Payton discussed how Lohner stood out at rookie minicamp. Now, with the offseason reps interrupted, the first true test of how quickly he can absorb the reset will come when he returns to work and the staff re-evaluates where he fits into the team’s tight end rotation.

For Denver, the immediate watch is simple: when Lohner returns to full participation, how quickly he can regain the tempo of practice, and whether he can pick back up with the blocking and route timing that NFL offenses demand. For Lohner, the objective is more basic and more urgent, the procedure is described as routine, but he still needs to convert readiness into progress before training camp narrows the margin for learning.