The Broncos’ backfield and edge rotation both took a hit this week, with Denver placing running back Tyler Badie and linebacker Jonah Elliss on injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.
The moves, first reported by Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post, mean both players will be out for at least four games. Elliss was already trending toward a longer absence after he was seen hopping off the field on one foot late in the game against the Seattle Seahawks. Sean Payton said Elliss has a chance to return later this season.
Badie’s situation was less expected. He injured his thumb against the Seahawks and never returned, and the team’s decision to shut him down suggests the issue is more serious than it first appeared. Gabriel reported that both Badie and Elliss would be eligible to come back for Denver’s Week 12 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Broncos do get a body back in the shuffle: linebacker Jonathon Cooper is coming off the Commissioner’s Exempt list after missing six games tied to a de facto suspension following a pair of arrests in June related to a domestic violence incident. In effect, Denver is swapping one roster absence for another.
Badie’s place in the longer-term picture is murkier. Denver has not gotten anything close to a productive run game so far, and even though the Broncos trust Badie in pass protection, there has been speculation that they could pursue a major trade for a running back. Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts has been the biggest name floated in those rumors.
How the position group looks moving forward may hinge on Jonah Coleman, the rookie stepping in for Badie. There are significant expectations around Coleman, and what he does could shape the outlook for the entire running back room.
RJ Harvey remains part of the mix, but his role has looked more like that of a small pass-catching back than someone ready to handle a full three-down workload.
Denver also made a pair of practice squad elevations, bringing up safety Taylor Rapp and cornerback and return man Sean Fresch Jr. for the second straight week. Fresch’s move was his third and final elevation, while Rapp has been elevated twice and still has one left. Even so, it would be a surprise if either sees the field against the Cardinals on Sunday.
In Other News...
Broncos Fans May Have A New Concern About Alex Singleton
Alex Singletons name is back in the league office conversation after the Broncos linebacker was fined for a hit on Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold in the Oct. 15 win over Seattle. The play drew no penalty in the moment, but the NFL later ruled it unnecessary roughness and levied a $23,882 fine, adding another layer to an already active season for one of Denvers most physical defenders.
It is the third time Singleton has been fined this year, even though one of the earlier penalties was eventually rescinded on appeal. For the Broncos, the concern is less about one isolated hit and more about a pattern that can keep putting a key defensive leader under league scrutiny, especially as Denver continues to lean on his presence in the middle of the defense. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Suddenly Have A Blockbuster RB Question To Answer
A running back market that was expected to stay quiet suddenly has some real heat, and Jonathan Taylor is right at the center of it. ESPNs Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter reported that the Packers, Seahawks and Broncos are among the teams weighing a possible trade for the Colts star, a development that lands at an especially messy moment in Indianapolis after the team fired GM Chris Ballard and could start looking at veteran deals.
Taylor only signed an extension this year and has already appeared in six games this season, so any move would be a major shift for a player still supposed to be part of the Colts long-term core. Even so, the situation is not cut and dried, because Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon reportedly still views Taylor as a key piece of the franchise, leaving interested teams like Denver to monitor whether the idea turns into something much bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Make A Telling Pat Surtain Call Before Cardinals Game
The Broncos pregame injury report offered a few clues about how they plan to handle Sundays matchup with the Cardinals, and one of the biggest came with Pat Surtain II. Denver listed the standout corner as questionable, but when the inactive list was released, he was on it, leaving the Broncos to try to contain Arizona without one of their top defensive pieces.
There was more secondary movement behind that call, too. Denver elevated safety Taylor Rapp from the practice squad with Caden Hufanga still sidelined by an ankle injury, a sign the Broncos are still sorting through the back end of the defense as they get ready for Arizona. The Cardinals, meanwhile, did get safety Budda Baker back in the lineup despite his questionable tag, adding another layer to a game already shaped by availability on both sides. [Read more 🡒]