It looked like the Denver Broncos had a clean slate health-wise going into their Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals, but wide receiver/returner Marvin Mims, Jr. popped up on the final injury list of the week with a hip issue.
He’s listed as questionable, and the timing of adding his name to the list this late in the week raises the possibility that he sustained the injury during a late week practice, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
The report also included another familiar injury victim, tight end Evan Engram. He’s been struggling with back problems, and he missed last weeks game against the Chargers because of that issue.
Mims, Jr. is a young player who’s just starting to be productive. He was drafted in the second round out of Oklahoma, and this year he has six catches for 40 yards. He’s also showed promise has a return man, bringing back nine kickoffs for 248 yards to go with six punts for 103 yards.
If Mims is limited or can’t get on the field, look for receiver Troy Franklin to pick up the slack. Receiver Courtland Sutton has been the big target for quarterback Bo Nix, but Franklin, too, has shown signs of being reliable and productive. He’s got 14 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown, and the Broncos need that kind of production from their possession receiver with Engram possibly out of the lineup.
A couple of other alarming names turned up on the injury list, most notably linebacker Nik Bonitto (wrist) and defensive end John Franklin-Myers (hip). They’ve both been effective pass rushers, but the fact that they both practiced yesterday is a good sign that they’ll likely play Monday night.
In the return game, cornerback Riley Moss will try to pick up the slack as the punt returner. Running backs Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie are listed as the next men up in the Broncos depth chart for kick returns, but there could be strategy adjustments with Mims limited or out.
Tight end Nick Adkins was also listed with a foot issue, and linebacker Alex Singleton was included with a thumb problem, but everyone on the list but Mims is basically good to go. This is a big game for the Broncos, who can’t afford to fall to 1-3 with the Los Angeles Chargers leading the division and playing a relatively soft road game against the winless New York Giants.