Report: Broncos Officially Promote RB Tyler Badie to 53-Man Roster

The Denver Broncos made the smart decision to protect their most productive rusher this season.

Sep 22, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Denver Broncos running back Tyler Badie (28) runs with the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Have the Denver Broncos finally found an answer at the running back position? After a completely inept rushing output through the first two weeks versus the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers, the Broncos appeared to find some life on the ground by giving the ball to running back Tyler Badie.

Rushing the ball highly effectively for 70 yards on nine carries, including a 43-yard long, Badie looks to be in line for a feature role going forward. In the wake of Alex Singleton’s season-ending ACL injury, the Broncos have used the open roster spot to promote Badie to the 53-man squad, according to the Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson.

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It can be debated how likely Badie was to be picked off the practice squad by another team given the ample number of running backs in the league, but his flashes over the last two weeks, as well as in the preseason, likely warranted protecting him by rostering him going forward. 

Coming out of Missouri as a Baltimore Ravens sixth-round pick in 2022, Badie was a small back at just 5-foo-8 and 197 pounds, with mediocre athletic testing outside of a 4.45-second 40-yard dash. Despite his diminutive frame and unimpressive explosive testing, he carried a large load for the Tigers and ran with vision and toughness with the ability to break some big carries.

Given the struggles of Broncos running backs Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin through the first two weeks of the season, the team will take what it can get and appears to be leaning into Badie's hot hand. Badie's ability to get quickly to the hole and get north and south with a slashing style might be what is needed in comparison to Williams and McLaughlin, who have tended to be slow in the backfield and get gummed up by aggressive defenses stacking the box to take away the run.

Of course, the struggles of the Broncos' running game don't completely fall on the backs. Denver’s highly-paid offensive line has failed to come close to providing a solid return on investment in the run game to start the year.

Pro Football Focus has the Broncos’ offensive line as the single worst run-blocking unit in football. Furthermore, Denver's weaponry is not striking fear in any opponents to the extent that teams feel the need to play lighter boxes and split safety looks.

The lack of dynamism in the pass-catchers, coupled with a rookie quarterback who, before last week, struggled in passes that traveled beyond five air yards, was a recipe for run-game failure well beyond the play of the running backs.

Whether it was Denver finding a more decisive rusher, the offense starting to push the ball downfield with more success, utilizing Bo Nix and his underrated athleticism in the run design, or simply running into a lesser run defense, Badie is the only running back who has shown efficiency and explosiveness on any consistent level this season.

Just as the Broncos made an aggressive pursuit of Josh Jacobs in this offseason, don’t be surprised to see the running back-loving Sean Payton once again look to utilize either a high draft pick or free-agent contract on a running back to improve the room.

For now, though, it appears Badie is in line to take on more rushing opportunities, with Williams potentially relegated to a more Samaje Perine pass-protector role with some niche touches for McLaughlin sprinkled in throughout the game.

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