Broncos Designate C Luke Wattenberg to Return from IR

Wattenberg has missed the last four games with an ankle injury.

Denver Broncos center Luke Wattenberg (60) points during the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In addition to opening the window on linebacker Drew Sanders, the Denver Broncos have designated center Luke Wattenberg to return from injured reserve, the team announced.

Wattenberg, a limited practice participant Wednesday, is eligible to play in Week 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos have 21 days to activate him to the 53-man roster or leave him on IR for the remainder of the season.

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Wattenberg suffered an ankle injury in Denver's Oct. 6 victory over the Raiders and has been out of commission since. The 2022 fifth-round pick previously started each game at the pivot, allowing zero sacks and drawing only one penalty across 310 offensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

He was replaced in the lineup by second-year man Alex Forsyth — quarterback Bo Nix's college teammate at Oregon — who's graded out as PFF's No. 11 center among 36 qualifiers with strong run-blocking marks.

“You never like for your guys to get hurt. We have a lot of confidence in the guys that are filling in," Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said on Oct. 10. "Alex was right there with the center battle during training camp, and obviously he and Bo have a good relationship. That's always important with centers and quarterbacks."

It's unclear as of this writing whether Forsyth or Wattenberg — if activated — will start Sunday's contest in Kansas City.

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