Week 3 is off to an ominous start for the Denver Broncos ahead of their tilt against the AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers. More specifically, the issue is with Broncos tight end Evan Engram, who missed practice on Wednesday with a “new” injury, per the team’s report.
Engram, a former first-round pick of the New York Giants and three-year veteran of the Jacksonville Jaguars, signed a two-year, $23 million contract with the Broncos in free agency.
However, his tenure has gotten off to an unfortunate start that has only grown more ominous.
Broncos HC Sean Payton Shuts Down Evan Engram Question With 1 Word
Engram’s absence from Wednesday’s practice session immediately drew attention from the Broncos beat, with DNVR Sports’ Zac Stevens noting the tight end was dealing with a “new” back issue.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton invited more speculation, declining to comment on the two-time Pro Bowler’s status.
“Nope. Nope,” Payton said on Wednesday when asked if he could “say anything about Engram.”
This comes just five days after Payton spoke about Engram being a bigger factor coming out of Week 1. Engram had 1 reception for 12 yards on two targets in Week 2, a step down from his 3-21-0 line on four looks in the opener.
Engram has gotten off to a quiet start to his Broncos tenure, logging 4 receptions for 33 yards through two games this season. Moreover, back injuries can be tricky to navigate.
However, this being a new concern on a long list of injuries for Engram is not the only issue.
Sean Payton Called Out Over Evan Engram
Payton’s usage of Engram over the first two weeks has also raised eyebrows, with the should-be Broncos star logging a 38% snap share, per Pro Football Reference, which would be a career low. He has not started either contest.
Engram was among the top Broncos in slot usage and routes run in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts. Engram’s stock is down, per The Denver Post’s Luca Evans.
His colleague, Sean Keeler, called Engram “hard to find.”
“Context: Incumbents Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull have played on 60% and 23% of those snaps, respectively,” Keeler wrote on September 16, noting that the newcomer’s usage was a ‘joke’ on Broncos fans. “More context: Engram’s never played on fewer than 67% of his team’s snaps over any regular season.
“If Engram’s too dinged up to be that tight end right now, he shouldn’t be playing. There’s no shame in shutting it down until you’re right. Especially if Payton would rather just lean on the guys from last year, regardless of their ceilings.”
Engram was one of a trio of players with extensive injury histories that the Broncos signed this offseason, with Payton lauding their track record and staff to defend the moves.
Two of those three players have already missed games.
Dre Greenlaw Situation ‘Nebulous’
In addition to Engram, the Broncos signed former San Francisco 49ers stars Dre Greenlaw at linebacker and safety Talanoa Hufanga. Greenlaw missed Wednesday’s practice and has not practiced since August due to a quad injury.
He missed the bulk of the Broncos’ offseason program and training camp with a different issue.
Greenlaw practiced all week leading up to and suited up for the Broncos’ preseason finale, but he did not play.
“We felt like he’s kind of on our schedule,” Payton said when asked if the Broncos refrained from putting Greenlaw on injured reserve because they expected him back sooner. “We spent time on it, because it’s a little nebulous relative to the injury, and that’s all I’ll say.”
Greenlaw inked a three-year, $31.5 million deal in free agency this past offseason.
Even if the Broncos expect both Engram and Greenlaw to return sooner rather than later, they have not gotten anything close to what was expected from either player entering the season yet.