Injured Broncos Starter Unlikely to Get Job Back

The Denver Broncos experienced addition by subtraction at the center position.

Oct 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Broncos line up the ball against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Caesars Superdome. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos hosted a training camp battle for the starting center job, which it was reported that Luke Wattenberg took early hold of. When the preseason rolled around, Wattenberg took a further hold of the job as Alex Forsyth struggled and seemed on the cusp of being waived.

However, the Broncos coaching staff named Wattenberg the starter and stuck by Forsyth as the backup. Over the first five games, Wattenberg played solid football.

While he wasn’t great and had some issues getting things going, especially on the ground, Wattenberg did a decent job. In pass protection, he allowed four pressures, all in the first two games, and zero sacks. It was a fine job. He showed tremendous growth from seeing the field over his first two seasons. 

In Week 5, Wattenberg suffered an injury that landed him on injured reserve. He has to miss a minimum of four games, of which three games have already passed.

Wattenberg will remain on injured reserve for the Broncos' upcoming game against the Baltimore Ravens. Then he can return off IR, if healthy.

The question then becomes, should Wattenberg get his starting job back from Forsyth when he returns? Let's examine.

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With Wattenberg on IR, Forsyth stepped into the starting five. While things haven't been great, Forsyth has also played decently.

The Broncos' run game has improved, though that isn’t strictly because of the center change, but it has helped. However, Forsyth has given up seven pressures in three games as the starter with two sacks. There has been improvement in the running game but a drop-off in pass protection. 

That has to factor in for a team that passes the ball 55.9% of the time. It's worth noting that the Broncos passed 57% of the time with Wattenberg at center, compared to 55% with Forsyth. 

So, while Forsyth is doing better as a run blocker and the rushing offense has improved overall, it has only been a 2% in how often the Broncos run the ball. There has been a commitment to the passing game from Sean Payton, even in games the Broncos won, and it hasn’t been close.

In all but two games, wins against the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets, the Broncos passed on over 50% of their plays. When it comes to the center position, that would seem to put a slight lean on the better pass protector. 

However, the Broncos could be more committed to the running game to address their inconsistency in that area of the offense. That could be helped by Forsyth remaining the center, where Denver's two best running games, in terms of rush/EPA and yards per carry, have come in games he started. 

The Takeaway

The Broncos have a tough decision, but the offense has looked better with Forsyth under center. The Broncos are getting the chemistry down upfront and showing more consistency in the run game.

Despite Forsyth being a step back in pass protection, it seems like a safe bet that he will remain the starter when Wattenberg returns.

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