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Broncos' Bo Nix and the offense take a major hit for the upcoming Texans game

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Adam Zientek | Last updated Oct 31, 2025 8:20 PM ET

The Denver Broncos were already going to be undermanned heading into the Week 9 contest against the Houston Texans. Superstar cornerback and the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain avoided the injured reserve, but was in no way going to see game action.

The team also ruled out safety P.J. Locke, tight end Nate Adkins, and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. A blow to both sides of the football, against one of the better defenses in the league, where the game can come down to a few yards.

Denver Broncos Friday injury report


Player	Injury	W/T/F	Designation
LB Dre Greenlaw	Quad	Full/Full/Full	–
C Alex Forsyth	Ankle	NA/Limited/Limited	–
TE Nate Adkins	Knee	DNP/DNP/DNP	Out
S P.J. Locke	Neck	Limited/Limited/DNP	Out
WR Marvin Mims Jr.	Concussion	DNP/DNP/DNP	Out
CB Pat Surtain II	Pectoral	DNP/DNP/DNP	Out

Observations

One bright spot for Denver is the return of linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who served his one-game suspension in the team's win against the Cowboys. His presence should provide a boost to a defense missing some contributors.

#Broncos LB Dre Greenlaw has been suspended by the NFL one game for his actions here toward referee Brad Allen after the team’s game-winning field goal. pic.twitter.com/zyIKYvcYrK
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 20, 2025

Adkins' injury was severe enough that the team brought in 41-year-old Marcedes Lewis for his blocking prowess. Another loss, specifically to the special teams unit, is Locke. In the win against the Cowboys, he played on 60 percent of the snaps.

Lastly, perhaps the biggest blow is to quarterback Bo Nix and the offense and the return game. The two-time All-Pro Mims Jr. wasn't able to clear the concussion protocol to get on the practice field, quickly being ruled out. He is quite literally a game-wrecker with the ability to take any kick or punt for a touchdown.

Mims Jr. is fourth on the team in targets and receptions with 32 and 22, respectively. He's added 234 yards and one touchdown as a pass catcher and is 12th in terms of punt return yards on average (12.4) and is 24th for average kickoff return yards (27.8).

Marvin Mims Jr had the longest special teams play in the entire NFL this week, per @ZebraTechnology.

Marvin traveled 80.1 yards on his 46-yard kickoff return.pic.twitter.com/kDgUDHOhMJ
— DNVR Broncos (@DNVR_Broncos) October 28, 2025

Denver's depth will be tested. For a young offense led by Nix, perhaps he'll continue his connection with receiver Pat Bryant, who had a touchdown against the Cowboys, with Mims Jr.'s absence.

The Broncos' margin for error just got slimmer.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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