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Forgotten Broncos running back could be a sleeper for key role in 2025
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- Forgotten Broncos running back could be a sleeper for key role in 2025
The Denver Broncos have an intriguing running back room that could become even more crowded this summer if the team signs veteran free agent J.K. Dobbins .
RJ Harvey , the team's second-round draft pick in April, is the projected starter with Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin the current top options to rotate in behind him (again, that could change if Dobbins signs). Behind them are Tyler Badie and Blake Watson .
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Most fans and pundits assume Badie and Watson are poised to have minimal roles in 2025, with one or both possibly even spending the season on the practice squad. But when coach Sean Payton was asked about the room's pass blocking last week, he specifically name-dropped just one of the team's backs.
"They're all… it's not just one or two right now," Payton said. "Badie is very good in that area. So early on, we're seeing all of them get the work. Then we'll worry about [the detailed roles] as we get closer."
Badie (5-8, 197 pounds) has had an interesting career, and some fans have probably forgotten that he's still on the team.
The 25-year-old joined Denver's practice squad late in his rookie season in 2022 and scored a 24-yard touchdown catch on his first career touch in the NFL. He then impressed during training camp in 2023, but an injury derailed his chances of getting off the practice squad onto the active roster in his second season.
"I think Tyler is an interesting story because he was a guy we were really excited about [in 2023], and he got hurt in training camp," offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said last September. "When he got healthy, things were kind of in motion and [we] thought he had a really good camp. We were lucky to keep him after training camp, and I think we knew that there was going to be a day this season where he was going to be called up and get his opportunities. "
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Badie impressed last preseason, rushing for two touchdowns in three games, and he was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster three games into the regular season.
"I don't think any of us were surprised at what he did," Lombardi said of Badie's ascension. "He's a guy that we certainly held in high regard. I was excited when his opportunity came up. I kind of expected him to show out like he did."
In his first game since being promoted to the 53-man roster last fall, Badie suffered a back injury against the New York Jets that ruled him out for the rest of the regular season. He was activated from injured reserve in the playoffs and got two touches in the team's wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills .
Now entering his fourth season in the NFL, Badie has just 12 career carries in four regular season appearances, but he could be a sleeper to watch in the team's running back rotation. Javonte Williams , who served as the team's primary pass-blocking running back last year, left in free agency this spring. So there's a key role on offense up for grabs this summer. If Badie emerges as one of the best (or the best) pass blockers at the position, he could end up with a bigger role on offense in 2025 than some fans expect.
Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans .
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Forgotten Broncos RB could be a sleeper for key role in 2025
