KR #47

Karene Reid

Linebacker · Utah

An undrafted free agent from a football family, Karene Reid fought his way onto Denver's 53-man roster out of camp in 2025.

Karene Reid comes from NFL bloodlines - his father Spencer Reid and several uncles played professionally - and he built on that legacy with a standout college career at Utah before signing with Denver as an undrafted free agent. He beat the odds in camp to make the Broncos' initial roster.

★ Second-team All-Pac-12 (2022, 2023)

★ Pac-12 Freshman of the Week (2021)

★ Made Denver's 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie (2025)

Path to the league

Reid played linebacker at Utah from 2021 to 2024, developing from a walk-on into a two-time second-team All-Pac-12 selection. He went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft and signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent, then earned a spot on the initial 53-man roster with a strong preseason.

Career highlights

Reid's breakout came as a freshman in 2021, when he opened his career with 15 tackles, a sack and an interception against Washington State, earning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors. He was named second-team All-Pac-12 in both 2022 and 2023, and made the Butkus Award watch list in 2023.

2025 season recap

Reid made Denver's 53-man roster as a rookie and appeared in a depth and special-teams capacity before landing on injured reserve on November 11, 2025, with a hamstring injury. He was activated on January 6, 2026, finishing the season with limited tackle production in a season shortened by injury.