The Denver Broncos grinded out a 20-12 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, and while it certainly wasn’t pretty, a win is a win at the end of the day. The team is going to have to fix some of the issues that popped up in their season-opener, though, and that is likely what head coach Sean Payton and the rest of his staff were working on throughout the week.
One position on the Broncos’ depth chart that could use some clarity is the running back room, where J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Tyler Badie, and Jaleel McLaughlin are all competing for snaps. With Dobbins and Harvey seemingly leading the way, Payton recently opened up on what Badie’s role with the team will be moving forward.
Sean Payton Dishes on Tyler Badie’s Role with the Broncos
Badie broke into the league as a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft with the Baltimore Ravens. While he didn’t make the team’s initial 53-man roster, he latched on with their practice squad, which is where he spent the majority of the 2022 season. That changed when the Broncos signed him to their active roster late in December, and he promptly scored a 24-yard touchdown in his NFL debut in the team’s season finale.
After spending the 2023 campaign on the Broncos’ practice squad, Badie seemed set to take on a bigger role on offense when he was signed to the active roster early off of the practice squad early in September. A scary back injury in Week 4 sent Badie to the injured reserve, though, and he only briefly returned for Denver’s wild-card playoff clash against the Buffalo Bills.
With the Broncos signing Dobbins in free agency and drafting Harvey, that left Badie’s spot with the team in flux. He did crack the 53-man roster, but he spent Week 1 working behind Dobbins and Harvey. While Badie may seem to be on the outs of Denver’s roster, Payton made it clear that isn’t the case when discussing the fourth-year running back recently.
“He’s a guy that can do a number of things well,” Payton said when speaking to reporters on Friday. “We think he can run well, he’s good in the pickups, he’s good in the passing game, so you know exactly what you’re getting … He was someone coming on last year, even as a runner, so I think that there’s always a value to knowing exactly what you’re getting from a player, and then you can implement him into those things that he does well.”
Sean Payton, Broncos Looking to Get Tyler Badie More Involved in Week 2
GettyTyler Badie #28 of the Denver Broncos takes the field to start the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.
It’s tough to carve out snaps for Badie right now, especially with Dobbins and Harvey both enjoying strong outings in Week 1. However, with Badie being a strong pass protector who can also operate as a receiver out of the backfield, he offers a type of versatility that Denver likes employing to give opposing defenses a different look.
It may seem like exploring a trade for Badie would be the best path forward, but Payton values employing a running back committee on offense. It worked last season, and it helped Denver eventually get past Tennessee in Week 1. They will have a more difficult challenge on their hands in Week 2, as the Broncos will square off against the Indianapolis Colts, with kickoff being scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET.
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