Broncos Place DL Shelby Harris on COVID/Reserve List, per Report

The Broncos are at risk of being without their star defensive lineman on Sunday in Atlanta .

The Denver Broncos continue to roll with the COVID-19 punches. On Tuesday, team President/CEO Joe Ellis and President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway tested positive for COVID-19 and began the self-isolation protocol. 

Later, practice-squad offensive tackle Darrin Paulo tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed in the protocol. As a better-safe-than-sorry measure, head coach Vic Fangio opted not to practice on Wednesday as the Broncos prepare for their Week 9 road bout with the Atlanta Falcons. 

It might have been prescient because on Wednesday, defensive lineman Shelby Harris popped up on the NFL transaction wire as having been placed on the COVID/Reserve list. Thanks to some intrepid reporting from 9NEWS' Mike Klis, among others, we learned that Harris has not tested positive for the virus but informed the Broncos that he had come into contact with someone outside of team headquarters who had contract COVID-19. 

That triggered the self-isolation protocol. 

NFL transaction wire: Broncos DL Shelby Harris on COVID reserve list.
Per source, he informed team he was exposed to someone away from work who later tested positive. Harris continues to test negative and is isolating but status could be in jeopardy for game Sunday. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) November 4, 2020

What's next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our FREE newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Harris will have to pass through the entirety of the COVID-19 protocol while testing negative each day along the way in order to have a chance at suiting up on Sunday in Atlanta. Although his Week 9 prospects might be in doubt, unless he ends up testing positive between now and gameday, Harris should have enough time to get the requisite testing under his belt to be cleared to return to the team and play. 

The Broncos would certainly have an immense challenge in front of them if Harris is unable to clear the protocol in time, though. Just last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Broncos felt the loss of starting nose tackle Mike Purcell keenly, relinquishing over 200 yards rushing. 

With the likes of Todd Gurley waiting in Atlanta, it'll take an all-hands-on-deck collective effort in order for the Broncos to stanch the bleeding upfront and shut down the run. The Broncos did re-sign veteran Sylvester Williams, and while young guys like Dre'Mont Jones and DeMarcus Walker have been playing well, they're not exactly bastions against the run. 

Run-stuffing isn't exactly Harris' strong-suit either, though he has improved in that department this season. Among the active players on the defensive line, Harris has the best grade in run defense via Pro Football Focus with a 72.7. 

He also has the best pass-rushing grade on the Broncos' D-line (by a mile) with an 82.4. Harris' 86.9 cumulative grade ranks him as PFF's fourth-best interior defensive lineman in the NFL. 

With 23 tackles (15 solo) and 2.5 sacks, Harris has been the only consistent force on the Broncos' D-line. His three batted passes rank him among the NFL's leaders on the D-line as well, one of which led to an interception for the defense in Week 6. To go along with those 2.5 sacks, he's also notched five QB hits and 12 hurries, giving him a total of 20 pressures. 

At 29 years old, Harris is playing out his one-year deal with the Broncos. If it was indeed a 'prove-it' proposition, the veteran lineman has gone a long way toward doing just that and assuaging the concerns of both Denver and outside teams that he was a one-year wonder under Vic Fangio last season in which he became a starter for the first time in his NFL career and totaled a career-high six sacks. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.