Tag: Audric Estime

Broncos’ top 10 leading rushers from 2024 season

The Broncos have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since Phillip Lindsay in 2019. Bo Nix ranked third on the team in rushing yards in 2024.

The Denver Broncos averaged 112.2 rushing yards per game in 2024, which ranked right near the middle of the NFL, 16th out of 32 teams.

The Broncos continued their five-year streak of not having a 1,000-yard rusher as Javonte Williams led the team in carries (139) and yards (513). He tied with rookie quarterback Bo Nix in rushing touchdowns (four) and he ranked second behind Nix (41) with 30 carries that picked up first downs.

The team’s second-leading rusher was Jaleel McLaughlin with 496 yards, one touchdown and 25 first downs. Nix ended up third in yards (430). Behind him was rookie Aurdic Estime, who totaled 310 yards, two touchdowns and 15 first downs on the ground.

Tyler Badie (86 yards) made the most of his limited action as his 7.8 yards per carry average ranked first on the team, beating out Nix (4.7), McLaughlin (4.4) and Estime (4.1).

Broncos receiver Marvin Mims also got reps at running back and he ended the year with 42 rushing yards and three first downs on 13 carries. Up next was rookie Blake Watson (10 yards on four carries), followed by receiver Troy Franklin (eight yards) and fullback Michael Burton (eight yards).

The tenth and final Denver player to tote the ball in 2024 was backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who ended the year with five rushing yards.

Broncos leading rushers 2024

  1. Javonte Williams: 513 yards
  2. Jaleel McLaughlin: 496 yards
  3. Bo Nix: 430 yards
  4. Audric Estime: 310 yards
  5. Tyler Badie: 86 yards
  6. Marvin Mims: 42 yards
  7. Blake Watson: 10 yards
  8. Troy Franklin: 8 yards
  9. Michael Burton: 8 yards
  10. Jarrett Stidham: 5 yards

Williams only averaged 3.7 yards per carry in 2024 and he’s set to become a free agent in March, so the Broncos will likely look to add at least one running back this offseason. NFL free agency will begin in March followed by the NFL draft in April.

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Don’t misunderstand the Broncos’ 2025 plan for running back

Sean Payton uses a running back committee, but that doesn’t mean the Broncos won’t make a splash at the position in 2025.

During his end-of-season press conference earlier this week, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked if the team needed a bell-cow running back.

Payton rejected the notion of an every-down workhorse running back, noting that he — and most teams — use multiple backs.

“I understand the committee,” Payton said. “I’m used to having two. We’re going to have more than just one back. We’re going to stack that position group. It’s too hard in our league to play with just one, rarely does a team do it. Occasionally it happens. Certainly, we’ll have a chance to evaluate when we get to the offseason evaluation process where we feel like we are at with each position, certainly that’s an important position.

“I’m not ready to today give you our must-needs and wants. We’re two weeks away, and even two weeks from now, I’m still not going to give them to you. We’ll go through that process, and we’ll look closely at what we think we still need, what we have to have and then what we want to have. That only comes after evaluating our own roster. We’re just not there yet.”

Some fans and pundits have interpreted Payton’s comments as a sign that Denver won’t target a big-name running back in 2025. That interpretation seems flawed, as Markus Boggs of theBPAshow pointed out on Twitter/X:

Payton has utilized multiple running backs throughout his career, but that doesn’t rule out the possibility of also having a star RB1, such as Alvin Kamara.

The Broncos have four running backs under contract for 2025 — Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, Tyler Badie and Blake Watson. None of them are clearly RB1 caliber, so the team will likely add to the position this spring.

Despite Payton’s comments about using a committee approach, it would not be surprising to see Denver go after a top RB in the NFL draft, perhaps even Ashton Jeanty. Fans should not misunderstand the Broncos’ approach. Using multiple RBs does not rule out the possibility of making a big RB splash in 2025.

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7 Broncos players did not play vs. Bills on Sunday

Seven Broncos players did not play against the Bills, including healthy scratch Audric Estime.

Seven members of the Denver Broncos‘ 53-man roster did not play in the team’s 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs on Sunday.

Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson*, running back Audric Estime, running back Blake Watson, linebacker Levelle Bailey, offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo and and defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike were inactive.

*Wilson was inactive but still dressed as an emergency third quarterback. Jarrett Stidham, Denver’s primary backup quarterback, also did not get on the field as Bo Nix played the entire game. That gave the Broncos a total of eight players who did not play against the Bills.

Broncos who did not play vs. Bills

  1. QB Zach Wilson (*emergency third QB)
  2. RB Audric Estime 
  3. RB Blake Watson
  4. LB Levelle Bailey 
  5. OL Nick Gargiulo
  6. DL Eyioma Uwazurike
  7. QB Jarrett Stidham (active)

Denver now enters the NFL offeseason with 19 players scheduled to become free agents in March.

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Broncos inactives: RB Audric Estime won’t play vs. Bills today

Broncos inactives vs. Bills: QB Zach Wilson, RB Audric Estime, RB Blake Watson, LB Levelle Bailey, OL Nick Gargiulo and DL Eyioma Uwazurike.

The Denver Broncos have announced their list of six inactive players for Sunday’s Wild Card playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.

The Broncos’ inactive players today are quarterback Zach Wilson*, running back Audric Estime, running back Blake Watson, linebacker Levelle Bailey, offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo and and defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike.

With Estime a healthy scratch, Denver’s top running backs will be Jaleel McLaughlin, Javonte Williams and Tyler Badie, who was just activated from injured reserve on Saturday.

*Technically, Wilson is still available to play as the team’s emergency third-string quarterback behind starter Bo Nix and primary backup Jarrett Stidham, but he’s on the inactive list and does not count against the game-day roster. Wilson can play if both Nix and Stidham are injured.

With the exception of Wilson, these inactive players are members of the 53-man roster who are not eligible to play against the Bills. They will be reactivated on Monday.

Broncos inactives vs. Bills

  1. QB Zach Wilson (*emergency third QB)
  2. RB Audric Estime 
  3. RB Blake Watson
  4. LB Levelle Bailey 
  5. OL Nick Gargiulo
  6. DL Eyioma Uwazurike

Sunday’s game will be nationally televised on CBS. Playing on the road, Denver is considered a big underdog against the Bills.

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Fantasy Football: 5 waiver wire running backs to target in Week 17

Trey Benson is among the top running backs to target on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

Congratulations, you’ve made it to your fantasy football championship game!

Either that or you’re taking a consolation bracket very seriously, or you play in a league that has a Week 18 championship game (which is a bad idea). Regardless of why you’re here, we’re happy to have you.

Bryce Young (4.9%) is suddenly fantasy-relevant at quarterback, Jalen McMillan’s (33.1%) stock is through the roof at wide receiver, and Chigoziem Okonkwo (6.4%) has had a great two-week run at tight end. Today, though, we’re taking a look at the running back position.

We’ve put together a quick list of five running backs to target on the fantasy football waiver wire going into Week 17.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire RB Targets

1. RB Kendre Miller (47.6%): Alvin Kamara is dealing with a groin injury, leaving Miller as the Saints’ primary running back. New Orleans wasn’t able to get anything going against the Packers on Monday, but they’ll have an easier matchup against the Raiders next week.

2. RB Trey Benson (18.1%): James Conner might miss the final two games of the season with a knee injury, leaving Benson as Arizona’s new RB1 (health permitting). Benson missed last week with an ankle injury, so it’s worth taking a look at Michael Carter (0.1%) in case Benson is also held out this week.

3. RB Audric Estime (8.4%): Estime led Denver’s backfield in carries (nine) and rushing yards (48) on Thursday and scored his first NFL touchdown. Broncos coach Sean Payton has hinted that Estime’s workload could increase over the next two weeks.

4. RB Tyjae Spears (48.2%): Spears (14) got more touches than Tony Pollard (12) and he totaled more yards (66 vs. 40) and touchdowns (2 vs. 0). TDs can be fluky, but Spears is worthy of flex consideration.

5. RB Patrick Taylor (33.0%): Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo are all banged up, leaving Patrick Taylor as the 49ers’ de facto RB1. Taylor led the team in carries (eight on Sunday), but Deebo Samuel (five) was also involved. Taylor is worth a look in case Guerendo is sidelined again in Week 17.

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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Sean Payton hints Broncos RB Audric Estime will get more carries

“We’ll keep playing those guys,” Broncos coach said after Kris Abrams-Draine and Audric Estime impressed against the Chargers.

Take note, fantasy football managers. Just in time for championship games, it might finally be Audric Estime time in Denver.

With Jaleel McLaughlin (quad) sidelined in Week 16, Estime led the Broncos‘ backfield in carries (nine) and rushing yards (48) in a Thursday Night Football showdown with the Chargers. Estime also scored the first touchdown of his rookie career.

Javonte Williams and rookie Blake Watson both received four carries (and Williams was the most involved in the passing game). After an eventual 34-27 loss, Broncos coach Sean Payton hinted that the rookies will continue to get looks to close out the season.

“I thought the young backs did a good job,” Payton said. “We’ll keep working those guys.”

When he was later asked about rookie cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, Payton referenced Estime again. 

“Overall, he’s [Abrams-Draine] been a pleasant surprise watching him. I’m encouraged that he’s getting to play. Some of these young guys are getting to play. Audric the same way, so we’ll keep playing those guys.”

Denver has two games remaining and after impressing against the Chargers, Estime figures to remain involved down the stretch.

“They played really well in the first half,” quarterback Bo Nix said of Estime and Watson. “Gave us a spark, especially on the first drive. They both had a few good runs and it’s just good to see those guys. They got their opportunity.

“We’ve seen it from Audric and with Blake. He’s been practicing really well, so he got his opportunity and ran the ball really well. I think that’s going to be good for us going forward.”

Estime has rushed 55 times for 252 yards through his first 11 games in the NFL. His workload has not been consistent enough for him to be a reliable option in fantasy football, but that might change soon. Stay tuned.

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WATCH: Broncos RB Audric Estime scores TD vs. Chargers

Broncos march down the field and Audric Estime secures a 7-0 lead over the Chargers!

Denver Broncos rookie running back Audric Estime scored a three-yard touchdown run in the first quarter of Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The score marked Estime’s first touchdown in the NFL.

Here’s video of the play, courtesy of the team’s official Twitter/X page:

Following the score, the Broncos lead the Chargers 7-0 in the first quarter.

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5 things to watch for when Broncos face Chargers on ‘TNF’

Here are five storylines to watch for when the Broncos face the Chargers on ‘Thursday Night Football’ in Week 16.

The Denver Broncos (9-5) are set to face the Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) on Thursday Night Football in Week 16. Here are five quick storylines to watch for going into Thursday’s game.

1. Broncos running back rotation: Jaleel McLaughlin has been the team’s best running back in recent weeks, but he was ruled out with a quad injury on Wednesday. That will leave Javonte Williams and rookie Audric Estime as the next men up, and Denver will likely elevate Blake Watson from the practice squad. We could see Marvin Mims mix in at running back as well, something he did leading up to the team’s bye week.

2. Denver’s cornerback depth: Riley Moss (knee) has been ruled out again, marking the third game he has missed. Fortunately, Pat Surtain (ankle) was able to practice this week and he was not given an injury designation for Thursday. Kris Abrams-Draine will likely start across from Surtain with Ja’Quan McMillian playing in the slot and Damarri Mathis getting rotational snaps like last week. When these teams met earlier this season, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert went 21-of-34 for 237 yards and a touchdown in a game that Surtain left with a concussion.

3. Broncos’ defense against Herbert and Co.: J.K. Dobbins rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown against the Broncos earlier this season, but he’s now on injured reserve. Denver pass rusher Nik Bonitto has scored a touchdown in each of the team’s last two games and he’s just one sack away from tying the NFL leader (Trey Hendrickson has 12.5 sacks). The Broncos, Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles have a three-way tie for the fewest points allowed per game (17.6), so Thursday night could be a defensive struggle.

4. Bo Nix bouncing back from three turnovers: Nix struggled against the Indianapolis Colts last week, throwing a career-high three interceptions. He had a bit of an in-game bounce back with three touchdown passes in a 31-13 win over Indy, but now Nix will have a fresh game to put those mistakes behind him. Nix will face an L.A. defense that allows the 10th-fewest passing yards per game (211.6), a unit that has totaled the seventh-most interceptions (14) and the eighth-most sacks (40) in the league this season.

5. Denver’s potential return to the postseason: The Broncos have already secured their first winning season since 2016. With one more win, Denver will clinch its first playoff berth since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

Thursday’s game will be available to stream on Prime. The Broncos are one win away from clinching a spot in the 2024 NFL playoffs.

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Jaleel McLaughlin heating up in Broncos’ backfield

Jaleel McLaughlin led the Broncos’ backfield in carries and rushing yards in the two games leading up to the team’s bye week.

It’s been the Jaleel McLaughlin show in the Denver Broncos‘ backfield over the last two weeks as the second-year back has led the team with 21 carries for 128 yards.

During that same period, Javonte Williams had 12 carries for negative one yard (that’s not a typo) and Audric Estime had six carries for 27 yards. Williams remains a key blocker and a capable receiver on third downs, but McLaughlin has been the team’s top runner over the last two games.

“He played well,” coach Sean Payton said after a 41-32 win over the Cleveland Browns. “We felt like some of the wide zone stuff and tosses were going to be good. He had a lot of good runs. Part of it was the scheme that was successful, or a couple of schemes we have seen other teams have success with that we had success with as well. All in all, it was good.”

McLaughlin has 97 touches for 414 yards and three touchdowns this season. He’s still trailing Williams on the year (162 touches for 705 yards and four scores), but McLaughlin has been trending up in recent weeks.

Fantasy football managers will see how the backfield rotation shakes out after the bye when the Broncos host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.

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Broncos vs. Raiders: 5 things to watch for in Week 12

The Broncos will go on the road to face the Raiders in Week 12. Here are five things to watch for on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos (6-5) will go on the road to face the Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) in Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season on Sunday afternoon. Here’s a quick list of five storylines to watch for leading up to the AFC West showdown.

1. Denver’s running back rotation: It appeared that Audric Estime might be taking over as the new RB1, but Javonte Williams quickly put that notion to rest by leading the backfield in touches last week. So, what will the backfield rotation look like going forward? It’s tough to predict — especially if the Broncos ride the hot hand — but it seems that Williams is still the lead back with Jaleel McLaughlin and Estime rotating in behind him.

2. Brock Bowers vs. Broncos’ defense: When Denver played the Raiders in Week 5, rookie tight end Brock Bowers totaled eight receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown. Bowers has been a bright spot for a struggling Las Vegas squad in recent weeks, and he will be a tough test for the Broncos’ secondary. “You can see how they made it a point of emphasis to give him the ball in any spot and any position,” cornerback Pat Surtain said. “They even have him at ‘X’ [receiver] backside and at his tight end spot at the ‘Z.’ He is playing all positions, and they are utilizing him very well. It will be a good challenge for us.”

3. Maxx Crosby vs. Denver’s offensive line: The Broncos beat the Raiders 34-18 earlier this season, but Bowers and defensive lineman Maxx Crosby were both problems for Denver. Crosby ended the day with two sacks and he now has 15.5 sacks in 11 career games against the Broncos. “It’s important [to know where he is at],” quarterback Bo Nix said. “He’s a really good player. He played well last time we played him even though he was a little banged up. I’m sure he’s going to be fresh and ready to go this game. One thing about him is his motor never stops. He’s a hard-working player. He plays every snap really hard, and he tries to get in everyone’s head. That’s just the type of style he is and the player he is. He’s really good. One of the best in the league.”

4. Broncos QB Bo Nix chasing history: Denver’s quarterback has been setting multiple franchise rookie records this fall and he needs just one touchdown on Sunday to break the team’s rookie passing record of 14 (he’s currently tied with Marlin Briscoe). Going up against a Las Vegas defense that allows 327.8 yards and 28.5 points per game, Bo Nix might be poised to have another big performance in Week 12.

5. Denver’s seeking first-ever win in Las Vegas: Since moving to the desert in 2020, the Raiders are 4-0 against the Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. “I’m excited to go [there for] a road divisional game,” Nix said. “They’re always a lot of fun. I know it’s an important game. It’s going to be an awesome atmosphere. It’s going to be a fun game. They’re going to have a good team. They’re going to be ready to go. Playing them again, I think it’s going to be a good game. I’m excited for the opportunity we have. Any divisional games are always important.”

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on Fox (view the TV map). The Broncos are considered the favorite despite playing on the road.

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