Basketball turned football player Chris Manhertz returns to Buffalo with Broncos in 'full-circle moment'

Broncos tight end Chris Manhertz (84) signs autographs at training camp on Saturday, July 29, 2023, at Centura Health Training Center in Centennial, Colo.(Parker Seibold, The Gazette)

Parker Seibold

In March 2014, Chris Manhertz concluded a stellar college basketball career playing for Canisius University in Buffalo.

On Monday, Manhertz will return to Buffalo as a football player.

The story of Manhertz becoming a solid NFL tight end after not having played college football has been an inspiration to many during his eight-year career. And now he will play his first career road game against the Bills on Monday Night Football.

“It’s a full-circle moment,’’ Manhertz said. “It’s definitely good. I have a lot of supporters still in Buffalo and it will definitely be good to give them a taste of Broncos football.”

The 6-foot-6, 255-pound Manhertz was a post player at Canisius who averaged 8.4 points and 6.9 rebounds as a senior and was initially looking to continue his basketball career by playing overseas. But he caught the attention of current Broncos coach Sean Payton, who was then in charge in New Orleans, and was signed to the Saints’ practice squad in 2015.

Manhertz played for the Saints for part of the 2016 season and was with Carolina from 2016-20 and Jacksonville from 2021-22 before signing with the Broncos last March and rejoining Payton. He has played twice previously against the Bills but the 2017 game was at Carolina and the 2021 game at Jacksonville.

With Manhertz making his return to the area, could he ever have envisioned when he was playing at Canisius that one day he would suit up against the Bills at Highmark Stadium?

“That’s crazy,’’ he said. “I couldn’t even have imagined it. It’s a blessing. Everything happens for a reason and it’s definitely a full-circle moment.”

Manhertz doesn’t anticipate any of his former Canisius teammates to be at Monday’s game since they’ve “long dispersed.” However, he said he has “a plethora” of college friends he expects to be on hand.

Manhertz has just one catch this season for 10 yards. However, he is regarded as Denver’s best blocking tight end.

“It’s unbelievable to go from basketball to being a great tight-end blocker,’’ said Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz. “And to be able to pick up the tight-end position shows how smart he is.”

More from Moreau

Unlike quarterbacks, cornerbacks don’t have a statistic for win-loss record. Nevertheless, Fabian Moreau is 2-0 as a starter.

Moreau replaced a struggling Damarri Mathis in the lineup for the Oct. 22 game against Green Bay. The Broncos won 19-17 and then added a 24-9 win over Kansas City on Oct. 29 to move their record to 3-5.

“I’m just trying to do what I can to help this team win and I’m just having fun doing it,’’ said Moreau, a seven-year veteran who signed with the Broncos early in training camp.

As their defense has continued to improve in recent games, the Broncos have gotten a spark from Moreau and from J’Quan McMillian, who became the primary nickel back on Oct. 1 at Chicago. They have teamed with secondary stars Pat Surtain II at cornerback and Justin Simmons at safety.

“Playing on such a good defense and playing in a great secondary, that has helped me out a lot,’’ Moreau said.

Fashionable Miller

Hall of Fame edge rusher DeMarcus Ware has gotten a kick out of a new Progressive Insurance commercial that shows Bills edge rusher Von Miller and wide receiver Stefon Diggs dressed in snazzy matching all-gold outfits complete with hats.

“It shows (Miller’s) personality and fits him for sure,’’ Ware said.

Ware is good friends with Miller and was his Broncos teammate from 2014-16. He said it always was fun seeing what outfits Miller wore.

“It was a comedian show because you never knew how he would come in dressed,’’ Ware said. “He’d come in with some big shades and a big jacket and some cowboy boots on. It was crazy. But it was the funnest time.”