Pat

Bryant

A hamstring injury suffered in the first quarter forced Bryant to the sidelines in Sunday’s game. He was unable to return to the field and now sees a promising rookie season come to an end. The 2025 third-rounder ended this season ranked third among Broncos receivers in routes run (309), and finished the year with a 31-378-1 line on 47 targets. Bryant came on strong later in the season, with 31 of his targets coming in his last five regular season games. Bryant will compete with Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims for snaps next season, but could have the inside edge to the team’s WR2 spot with a strong offseason.

Bryant suffered a hamstring injury on the Broncos’ opening drive. After attempting to play through it, the rookie receiver is now on the sideline and is questionable to return. Bryant caught one pass for two yards before his injury.

Bryant opened the week with a limited session on Wednesday and closed it by practicing fully two days in a row. Before suffering a concussion, the Broncos’ third-round rookie was a featured player on the team’s opening drive last week, catching three passes for 32 yards. He could operate similarly this week.

Great news. The Broncos’ third-round rookie is on track to play in the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots as long as he remains setback-free. Bryant caught three passes for 32 yards on the Broncos’ opening drive last week. He should handle a featured role in the offense once again this week, though head coach Sean Payton may opt for a run-heavy approach with backup QB Jarrett Stidham under center.

We expect this to be a limited session for Bryant, who left the Broncos’ Divisional Round game against the Bills with his second recorded concussion this season. He was hospitalized after suffering a concussion in Week 16 against the Jaguars and was unable to play in Week 17 against the Chiefs. His swift turnaround is a good sign regarding his overall health and puts him on track to play in the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots.

Bryant had three catches for 32 yards on the first drive and looked set to be a huge part of this offensive gameplan. However, he suffered a concussion when his helmet hit the ground after his final catch. Lil’Jordan Humphrey took his place but dropped a touchdown catch on the first drive.

Bryant’s team-high five targets accurately depict the Broncos’ offensive successes and failures today. Although they came away with a win, and the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, it was an underwhelming outing. Broncos head coach Sean Payton tried to get Bryant into the end zone on the team’s first drive by calling a screen pass for him from the Chargers’ five-yard line. He was stopped just two yards past the line of scrimmage. Bryant is on bye next week.

The Broncos will have their rookie wide receiver on the field as they attempt to retain the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed this week. Bryant has finished exactly as the half-PPR WR45 in each of his last three games and can be treated as a WR4 accordingly this week.

Bryant is progressing through the NFL’s concussion protocol and should be able to play in Week 18 against the Chargers, though the Chargers are expected to rest some starters, which could result in an easy run-heavy win for the Broncos. The Broncos (13-3) currently hold the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed. They can retain it with a win.

Bryant suffered a scary concussion in the Broncos’ Week 16 loss to the Jaguars. He missed last week’s game but has a shot at returning for Week 18 against the Chargers. Denver needs a win to secure the No. 1 seed. Bryant would be a deep cut DFS option if he clears concussion protocol in time.