Cody Schrader

Career StatsC-

Year	Team	GP	Yards	TD	YPC
Career		1	3	—	3.0
2025		1	—	—	—
2024		1	3	0	3.0

Updated May 23, 2026

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Net of age, position, and term, Cody Schrader's deal earns a C Contract Value Index. The $1.075M AAV reflects what Denver is actually betting on: a second-year undrafted back with a D- performance grade and minimal NFL runway, acquired on a low-risk, low-reward basis that insulates the Broncos from any real cap exposure. His 2025 season appearance in a single game underscores the organizational depth role he currently occupies—this isn't a developmental slot or a calculated upside play, but rather a camp body and injury contingency with replacement-level production to date. At 26, Schrader sits squarely in the window where undrafted tenure and modest college pedigree no longer excuse on-field execution, and the Contract Value Index reflects that reality: the price is right because the expected return is modest. Denver's recent offensive additions and the squad's 14-3 championship positioning leave little room for Schrader's narrative to translate into actual snaps; the Broncos signed this deal as organizational insurance, not a backfield answer. Unless injuries force opportunity, he'll remain a practice squad fixture or camp casualty—a perfectly rational, if uninspiring, contract built to cost nothing and demand nothing in return.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Cody's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Per-game impact for Cody Schrader pencils out to a C- performance grade. The 26-year-old second-year back occupies the replacement-level tier of the position — capable depth, but without the statistical foundation or opportunity volume to project as a meaningful backfield contributor at this stage of his NFL tenure. With only one game on his 2025 season resume, his production profile remains too thin to isolate specific statistical strengths, leaving the evaluation squarely on his role and trajectory: organizational depth with an undrafted pedigree and a practice squad résumé that speaks to marginal NFL talent relative to the wider running back pool. His path to consistent snaps in Denver's backfield is constrained not by circumstances but by competition — the Broncos have been active adding bodies across multiple positions this offseason, and the recent release of RB Deuce Vaughn signals a roster-building direction that doesn't hinge on Schrader as a long-term piece. The underdog narrative that's earned him fan affection and modest media interest doesn't change the fundamental calculus: he's a camp body with a ceiling of special teams contribution or injury-reserve depth, exactly the kind of feel-good story that typically resolves into a practice squad assignment or release once preseason clarifies the depth chart. With 91 days until the regular season and the Broncos operating as the AFC's #1 seed after a 14-3 campaign, roster spots for marginal talent are luxuries Denver can't afford.

How Cody Compares at the Position

Cody Schrader ranks 109th of 175 graded running backs by performance. That slots Cody between Ameer Abdullah (C-) just ahead and Lew Nichols (C-) just behind.

Fan Sentiment

Cody Schrader's public perception sits at a measured C — engaged enough to generate a handful of headlines, but firmly in the "inspirational depth piece" category rather than legitimate roster conversation. The dominant media framing around the 26-year-old undrafted back centers on his underdog journey — the practice squad bouncing, the waiver claims, the grind — and while that narrative earns him genuine fan affection, it also telegraphs the ceiling: organizational depth with replacement-level upside, not a backfield threat. That story tracks directly with a D+ performance grade, which confirms the gap between the character arc fans are rooting for and the on-field production that actually moves the needle in an NFL backfield. Denver's recent activity only tightens the squeeze around Schrader — the Broncos signed RB Jaleel McLaughlin earlier this offseason and have been active adding bodies at multiple positions, making the depth chart competition steeper and the path to a 53-man roster spot narrower. The sentiment trend cooling from its initial A+ warmth down to a C reflects exactly what usually happens with these stories: the feel-good wave breaks on the shore of roster reality, and with the regular season still 125 days out and a 14-3 Broncos team built to win, there's little room for sentimentality over production.