Broncos To Move WR Pat Bryant To IR

The second-year wideout will miss at least four games. Bryant joined Patrick Surtain in escaping a season-ending injury, but the Broncos came out of their 49ers loss with some significant injury issues. Surtain remains on Denver’s 53-man roster.

This will pause the season of Denver’s second-most productive pass catcher. Courtland Sutton remains positioned as Jaylen Waddle’s top sidekick, but the longtime Broncos lead target has struggled to open the season. Bryant has stepped up for a struggling offense, catching nine passes for 133 yards. The 2025 third-round pick has a touchdown reception and a two-point conversion through four games, but he will see his second season pause after being carted off the field in San Francisco.

Denver’s receiver situation beyond Sutton had been shaky in recent years, but the Waddle trade created some depth. Even without Bryant, the Broncos are in decent shape at the position. Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims are positioned to move up in the pecking order, and both have extensive experience as auxiliary targets.

Franklin showed development last season, finishing with 709 receiving yards, six touchdowns and three two-point conversions in Year 2. Mims is a two-time All-Pro return man who has not been entrusted with regular receiver duty, though the former second-round pick has made pivotal catches — most notably the touchdown to give the Broncos a late lead against the Bills in last season’s divisional-round thriller — during this four-year career. Bryant had submitted a strong offseason to move ahead of Franklin in Denver’s WR hierarchy, but the Bo Nix college teammate will join Mims in having more opportunities as a result of this setback.

Bryant will miss games against the Chargers, Seahawks, Cardinals and Chiefs. The Broncos will likely move Lil’Jordan Humphrey — who has frequently toggled on and off Sean Payton’s Denver and New Orleans rosters — back onto the 53 after recently sending the backup WR to the practice squad.

As PFR’s Injured Reserve Return Tracker shows, the Broncos have already used two of their IR-return slots (via August 30 return designations on tight end Caleb Lohner and tackle Frank Crum). The team will almost definitely factor Bryant into its activation calculous come November.