The Denver Broncos secured a narrow 10-9 victory over the New York Jets in Week 4, despite a historically poor performance from quarterback Bo Nix in the first half. Nix completed only 7 of 15 passes for -7 yards during that period, becoming one of just four quarterbacks since 2000 to finish a half with negative passing yards.
With this win, the Broncos improved to a 2-2 record for the season, but the game took a concerning turn when running back Tyler Badie suffered a serious injury. Medical staff had to place him on a spinal board and transport him to the locker room. Fortunately, subsequent updates indicated that the injury might not be as severe as initially feared; however, Badie will not be returning to play right away.
On Saturday, the Broncos announced that they were placing Badie on injured reserve and promoting linebacker Levelle Bailey from the practice squad for their upcoming Week 5 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, as reported by NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Bailey made his NFL debut in the previous week’s game against the Jets, having been elevated to the active roster. The 23-year-old defender will now have another chance to impress the coaching staff against the Raiders, as he has already been called up to the active roster twice this season, with teams limited to three elevations per player in a season.
With Badie moving to injured reserve, he will be sidelined for a minimum of four games. The 24-year-old was originally drafted in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens and was later signed by the Broncos from their practice squad. He made his NFL debut during the final game of the 2022 season, scoring on a 24-yard touchdown pass.
This season, Badie was called up from the practice squad in Weeks 2 and 3 before officially joining the active roster. In three games, he recorded 11 rushing attempts for 86 yards and had three receptions for -2 yards. In his absence, the Broncos will rely on starting running back Javonte Williams and backup Jaleel McLaughlin to handle the rushing duties.
The Broncos are set to face the 2-2 Raiders on Sunday. Under Sean Payton’s leadership, the offense currently ranks 21st in rushing with an average of 106.3 yards per game and 27th in passing, with Bo Nix averaging 159.8 yards per game.
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