As the 2025 season comes to an end, the Denver Broncos will enter the season finale on Sunday with a chance to secure the top seed in the AFC. After losing one of their top wide receivers late in the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Broncos got good news today, as Pat Bryant officially returned to practice in a limited capacity.
Broncos Offense Getting Reinforcements
The Broncos have battled injuries all season on both sides of the ball, but are finally regaining key pieces at just the right time. Pat Bryant has emerged as Bo Nix’s go-to target on crucial third downs, providing reliability in a wide receiver group plagued by drops that have made things tougher for Nix.
Bryant left the game late in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars after absorbing a heavy hit and was carted off the field, then taken to a local hospital. The third-round pick was diagnosed with a concussion but cleared of other major injuries, a huge relief, and discharged later that night. If he completes a full practice before Sunday, he’ll likely return against the Los Angeles Chargers on a snap count as Denver eases him back into action on the field.
Denver’s rookie class has made a major impact on offense. RJ Harvey has stepped up impressively after JK Dobbins’ season-ending foot surgery. Bryant has 347 yards so far, averaging 12.4 yards per catch. Harvey has been a true dual threat in both the running and receiving games, fitting perfectly into Sean Payton’s vision after being drafted out of UCF in the second round.
The Injury Bug Has Plagued The Broncos
Denver received more bad news on today’s injury report: linebacker Dre Greenlaw remains out after leaving the Jaguars game two weeks ago with a hamstring injury. It makes sense not to rush Greenlaw back this week against the Chargers, who are resting most of their starters. If Denver wins Sunday and secures the first-round bye, players like Greenlaw and others nursing injuries will get extra time to recover before the Divisional Round.
The most important player on the Broncos defense is safety Brandon Jones, whose regular season ended with a pectoral injury. When he was first hurt, his playoff status was unclear, and getting him back would be a huge boost. PJ Locke has struggled in Jones’s absence, and his issues with open-field tackling have hurt the defense as a whole.
