Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle remains uncertain for Sunday’s AFC West matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs after aggravating a chest injury late in last week’s win.
The team listed Waddle as questionable on its final injury report Friday. He sat out Wednesday’s practice before logging limited sessions on Thursday and Friday without advancing to full participation.
Waddle’s status stays unresolved as the Broncos prepare for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff at Empower Field at Mile High. The contest airs on CBS.
The issue traces to the fourth quarter of Denver’s 30-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. On a reverse that went awry with fewer than five minutes left and the Broncos leading by two scores, Waddle mishandled the exchange, recovered the ball himself and took a 12-yard loss.
He left the field after the play and did not return. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the sequence aggravated an existing chest injury, with availability for the Chiefs game depending on practice progress.
Waddle finished that contest with four catches for 48 yards on seven targets. Through seven games this season he has 26 receptions for 276 yards and one touchdown while averaging 10.6 yards per catch.
His production sits well below career norms from five seasons with the Miami Dolphins before Denver acquired him in a March trade. The Broncos absorbed the remaining years of a three-year, $84.75 million extension he signed in Miami.
Coach Sean Payton took ownership of the reverse call afterward. “Every once in a while you fall in love with a play,” he said, according to The Gazette.
The Broncos face broader offensive uncertainty. Running back RJ Harvey is ruled out with a knee injury suffered in practice this week. Left tackle Garett Bolles is also questionable after limited work all three days with a hip issue.
Defensively, Zach Allen and Brandon Jones are questionable with hamstring injuries. Safety Talanoa Hufanga is out for a third straight game with an ankle problem, while cornerback Pat Surtain II practiced fully and carries no game designation after missing the previous three contests.
Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. also practiced fully Thursday and Friday despite an ankle issue and has no designation. That gives Denver at least one healthy option in the receiving group if Waddle cannot go.
Kansas City enters at 5-1 and holds the division lead. Denver sits at 5-2. A Broncos win would tighten the race considerably with the season’s second half approaching.
Waddle has appeared in every game so far despite earlier minor issues, including a foot concern that drew attention early in the year. His limited practice this week shows progress from Wednesday’s absence, yet the lack of a full session leaves his exact role unclear.
If he sits, Denver would lean more on Courtland Sutton, Mims, Troy Franklin and others against a Chiefs defense that has already limited him once this season. The final call will come closer to kickoff.
