The Broncos are heading into Sunday’s AFC West matchup with Kansas City short-handed, and the biggest blows landed on both sides of the ball. Denver ruled out running back RJ Harvey and safety Talanoa Hufanga on Friday, while safety Brandon Jones is one of four starters listed as questionable.
Harvey’s status turned into one of the more notable developments of the week. He showed up on Thursday’s injury report as a limited participant because of a knee injury, then didn’t practice Friday before Denver officially shut him down. The team’s final injury report listed him with a hip injury, and the Broncos offered no explanation for the mismatch between the two reports.
That leaves Denver to lean more heavily on veteran J.K. Dobbins and rookie Jonah Coleman. Coleman has been gaining traction lately and has given the Broncos’ ground game a lift.
Hufanga will miss a third straight game after hurting his ankle against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5. He’s been one of Denver’s most impactful defenders this season, with two interceptions, including one he took back for a touchdown.
Jones is trending in a different direction, though not all the way to available yet. He was added to the injury report Thursday with a hamstring issue, stayed limited Friday and landed on the questionable list. If he can’t go, Denver may need to shuffle its secondary again, and that would come with Hufanga already out of the mix.
The Broncos have already spent time leaning on their depth in the back end while several starters have been banged up, including cornerback Pat Surtain II.
Also listed as questionable are defensive lineman Zach Allen (hamstring), offensive tackle Garett Bolles (hip) and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (chest).
It’s a tough set of injury concerns to sort through before a division showdown that could ask a lot from Denver on both sides of the ball.
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Pat Surtain IIs return from an ankle injury would be a major boost for a defense that needs its best cover man on the field, especially with Talanoa Hufanga still sidelined by the same issue. On the other side of the ball, rookie running back Jonah Coleman has given Sean Payton another piece to work with after showing burst against Arizona, and the Broncos may lean on him more if they want a steadier answer in a game that already carries plenty of pressure. [Read more 🡒]