"The right thing to do": Broncos release Chad Kelly

It took just over 24 hours from when the news broke on former Denver Broncos quarterback Chad Kelly’s arrest for the team to release him.

After being arrested for first-degree criminal trespassing early Tuesday morning, the Broncos cut the troubled young QB on Wednesday.

The second-year player’s stint as a Bronco ended abruptly after he generated excitement with his preseason play. Fans were excited about his future, some wanting him to start now. Now, he’s out of a job, his career in Denver finished.

“This was a decision that we made as an organization,” John Elway said, in a release. “After reviewing all the information and in talking with Vance [Joseph] and Joe [Ellis], we agreed that releasing Chad was the right thing to do.”

“Even though Chad’s no longer part of our team,” Elway added. “We’ve offered to help him however we can and are supportive of him in every possible way.”

Kelly was a seventh-round pick in the Broncos’ horrendous 2016 draft, which now has only three players remaining on the active roster—first-rounder Garett Bolles, second-rounder DeMarcus Walker, and tight end Jake Butt, who out for the season.

After taking essentially a redshirt year in his rookie season as he recovered from injury, Kelly earned the backup job in 2018, supplanting former first-rounder Paxton Lynch.

The former Ole Miss product has struggled with previous off-field issues. They may now have derailed what once looked like a promising career.