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Jan 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey (84) and quarterback Bo Nix (10) in the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Broncos WR Marvin Mims Jr. Returns to Practice Ahead of Titans Tilt

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Chad Jensen | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 7:19 PM ET

The Denver Broncos had a bit of a scare last week when first-team wide receiver and All-Pro returner Marvin Mims Jr. exited practice with a groin injury. Broncos head coach Sean Payton provided some
"good news," and a big exhale when he said that Mims had tweaked his groin and would be back at practice on Monday.

Fast forward to Labor Day, and just as Payton said, Mims was back out on the grass practicing with the team, per multiple reports.

The Broncos will hold their breath leading into this weekend's season-opener vs. the Tennessee Titans. This period between the final roster cut-downs and Week 1 is the calm before the storm, and while the Broncos have continued to practice throughout, the last thing the team wants to see is an injury before Sunday.

Bona Fide Breakout Candidate

Entering his third year, Mims is poised for a breakout campaign. One of only two Broncos to ever be voted to the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons (along with Von Miller), Mims' accolades, as impressive as they are, have come as a returner on special teams.

However, down the stretch last season, Mims showcased some tantalizing big-play ability on offense. He finished with six receiving touchdowns in 2024, and capped off the season with back-to-back games with double scores on offense.

Mims would finish with just 503 receiving yards on the season, but 447 of those yards were from Week 10 on. The lightbulb seemed to have come on for the young playmaker.

If we were to extrapolate Mims' late-season production into a full campaign, it would equate to 950 receiving yards and nearly 13 touchdowns. Payton seemed to have an epiphany last year with Mims, starting in Week 10 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, utilizing him as a running back and more often as a receiver out of the backfield, which seemed to shake something loose in the player's mind.

Mims' route running became better, as did his hands. His explosiveness and speed? Those aspects of his game were never in question. It's clear that he hit his stride as the season came to a close, as evidenced by not only his back-to-back two-touchdown games, but also his two 100-yard receiving performances over the final five weeks.

The Broncos are hoping that Mims can translate that momentum into the early goings of his third year. It didn't happen for Jerry Jeudy, who finished strong in 2022, only to suffer from failure-to-launch syndrome the following year. The Broncos traded him shortly after.

But there is hope and confidence that Mims will be different. After all, what Jeudy lacked was quarterback and offensive consistency. Yes, Jeudy had Russell Wilson in 2022 and 2023, but the last word one would use to describe the quarterback play he received was 'consistent.'

Mims, on the other hand, has the same offensive play-caller and quarterback. As Bo Nix goes in 2025, so will the Broncos, and there are many early harbingers to believe that the young quarterback's second year will feature a quantum leap forward.