Broncos' Michael Bandy savors his first NFL TD after being cut 9 times in 5 years

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Michael Bandy is a 5-foot-10 dynamo who once gave up football for rugby, was cut nine times as a pro and waited five NFL seasons to reach the end zone.

A former FCS star at San Diego, Bandy ran an underneath crossing route, hauled in Bo Nix's pass and turned up the sideline to scoot into the end zone, igniting the Denver Broncos' 34-26 win over the Green Bay Packers last weekend.

So, what was it like to finally hit pay dirt at age 28?

“I can honestly say I don't really remember, like I blacked out,” Bandy said. “It was just so much emotion. I've been in the league five years now and it's been a while since I've scored a touchdown, since college.”

Bandy had to watch the replay on his phone.

“So, I couldn't tell you exactly what it feels like,” he said, “but it was every emotion and it was pretty cool.”

Nix and wide receiver Courtland Sutton were so excited for Bandy that they chased him into the end zone. Both halted and made a beeline for the ball that Bandy had dropped as he stomped across the orange-painted end zone, roaring as much as any fan.

“Yeah, we were able to get the football. Courtland and Bo grabbed it and brought it to me, which was pretty cool,” Bandy said of the memento, now safely back home.

With rookie Pat Bryant (hamstring) ruled out, the Broncos needed to elevate a wide receiver from their practice squad in Week 15 and it was somewhat surprising it was Bandy and not new acquisition Elijah Moore.

After Marvin Mims Jr. went to the sideline with a stinger early in the game, Bandy got his chance and made the most of it.

“It was supposed to be Mims' play,” coach Sean Payton said. “There was a minute when he was out, and so Bandy jumped in because he knows every position and ends up catching Mims’ touchdown.”

Bandy, who carries 190 pounds on his compact frame, said the only way he's been able to keep his NFL dream alive is to be versatile: “That's the easiest way to get on the field is just knowing what to do at all the different spots. The more you can do, the better.”

Payton took pride in seeing Bandy score his first touchdown.

“He's played five years in this league. He’s been in 12 games,” Payton said. “Each week, I say to the offensive guys, ‘We have to find a way to get him up.’ He does so many things well, and that was his first touchdown. That was pretty cool to see because his journey is different. ...

“Five years is a long time. He embraces the role, and like I said, he can go in at any position and not flinch. That’s not easy considering all the formations and plays we have.”

Nix called Bandy's score special.

“I think that was awesome for several reasons,” he said. “Mike has not necessarily had the easiest road to the NFL. He hasn’t had the most opportunities to have a situation like that, but I think it goes to show that with a little bit of grit, a little bit of determination, you can do what you put your mind to.”

What made Nix and the rest of Bandy's teammates so excited for him was knowing how hard to works at practice and on the scout team.

“For Michael, it’s just awesome to see. I know he’s had a very long road, a lot of ups and a lot of downs, a lot of times unfortunately getting cut and then having to fight his way back out. He just continues to do it with a smile on his face, has a great attitude,” Nix said. “I think every team needs a Bandy, and I think we have the best one.”

The Broncos (12-2), who host Jacksonville (10-4) on Sunday, activated G Ben Powers (biceps) from injured reserve to their 53-man roster Saturday. Powers started 39 consecutive games for Denver before he was injured in Week 5 at Philadelphia. The Broncos also elevated QB Sam Ehlinger and S Delarrin Turner-Yell from their practice squad and signed G Calvin Throckmorton to the practice squad after he was waived earlier this week.

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Denver Broncos' Michael Bandy celebratesw his touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Denver Broncos' Bo Nix celebrates after throwing a touchdown to Michael Bandy during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian drone attack before dawn on Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa wounded 14 people, including two children, authorities said Monday, in the latest barrage of civilian areas that have been a hallmark of Moscow’s full-scale invasion.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike killed two people in the Russia-occupied part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, Moscow-installed Gov. Vladimir Saldo said Monday. A man and a woman in their 70s died in the village of Dnipriany, he said.

In Odesa, drones hit residential neighborhoods and civilian infrastructure, said Serhii Lysak, the head of the city’s administration. Russia has repeatedly targeted Odesa, a key Black Sea port for Ukraine, since Moscow launched the war more than four years ago on Feb. 24, 2022.

Five of the wounded, most of them with shrapnel wounds, were hospitalized, according to Oleh Kiper, the head of the regional military administration.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Russia has fired approximately 1,900 attack drones, nearly 1,400 powerful guided aerial bombs and around 60 missiles of various types at Ukraine over the past week.

Ukraine’s wartime development of cutting-edge military technology means that it's intercepting more than 90% of the drones that Russia launches, Zelenskyy said in an X post. However, Ukraine needs more American-made Patriot air defense missiles, which are able to shoot down Russia’s ballistic missiles.

Ukraine has recently been helping Middle Eastern and Gulf region countries, which are countering attacks on their territory by Iranian drones, with know-how during the Iran war.

Norway is the latest European country to enter into a joint drone manufacturing agreement with Kyiv, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Monday.

In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that his government plans a “drone armada” with Ukraine’s help, to defend both itself and Europe.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, on a visit to Warsaw, said that Ukraine has evolved from being a recipient of foreign military aid to a country that can offer state of the art military solutions.

“We are able to destroy tanks, destroy expensive systems and drones, it is our reality,” she said, according to the Polish press agency PAP. “A number of the systems that we’re using are produced in Ukraine. I think we have made a big leap here.”

Zelenskyy noted a recent raft of good news for Ukraine: NATO partners, excluding the United States, have contributed to a financial arrangement to buy American weapons, the European Union has approved a 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) loan to Ukraine, and the EU intends to place more sanctions on Moscow.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has been assailing oil terminals and refineries deep inside Russia with long-range drones and missiles, aiming to disrupt Moscow’s economy.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said late Sunday it has seen geolocated evidence that Ukrainian forces conducted at least 10 strikes against Russian oil and gas infrastructure in the past two weeks.

Claudia Ciobanu contributed to this report from Warsaw, Poland.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

A rescue worker walks inside apartments destroyed by a Russian strike in Odesa, Ukraine, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Shtekel)

A person walks near residential houses damaged by a Russian strike in Odesa, Ukraine, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Shtekel)