Audric Estime, the rookie running back for the Denver Broncos, has been placed on injured reserve due to an ankle injury, which will keep him out of action for at least a month. In his debut game against Seattle, Estime had two carries for 14 yards but unfortunately fumbled on his first attempt after leaping over a defender. He is slated to be eligible to return to the active roster for the Broncos’ game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6.
Estime faced setbacks earlier in the summer when he underwent minor arthroscopic knee surgery, causing him to miss OTAs and the team’s mandatory minicamp in June. Despite this, he had an impressive training camp performance, contributing to the strength of the Broncos’ running backs room alongside Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin, especially on a somewhat thin roster.
To fill the void left by Estime, the Broncos promoted fullback Michael Burton from the practice squad and added receiver Kaden Davis to the practice squad on Wednesday. At practice, Estime and several other injured offensive players were observed on a side field during the media-access portion of the workout. This is a notable change from the previous week when no players were listed on Denver’s injury report leading up to their season opener.
In addition to Estime, left tackle Garett Bolles (calf), center Luke Wattenberg (ankle), wide receiver Josh Reynolds (Achilles), and Devaughn Vele (ribs) also missed practice sessions recently.