On Saturday, the Denver Broncos elevated wide receivers Philip Dorsett and Lil'Jordan Humphrey to their 53-man roster ahead of their Sunday Week 1 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The move supports strong speculation that Broncos' WR1 Jerry Jeudy, who has been battling a hamstring injury over the past two weeks, may not be ready for the season opener.
The fourth-year receiver out of Alabama is the clear number one for the Broncos when healthy. However, the elevation of Dorsett and Humphrey, coupled with Jeudy's questionable status, indicates that rookie receiver Marvin Mims will likely receive the lion's share of targets Week 1.
Last season, despite questionable quarterback play, Jeudy started coming into his own with 972 yards on 67 receptions and six touchdowns across 16 games — the best season of his career thus far. After head coach Nathaniel Hackett was relieved of his duties in the offseason and replaced by revered fan-favorite Sean Payton, the expectations for Jeudy to put up a strong 2023 campaign to follow his near 1000-yard season increased greatly. Though the severity of his injury is yet to be verified, activating two extra receivers is definitely not the start Jeudy was hoping for amidst the aforementioned expectations.
Last season, Jerry Jeudy showed signs of the promising star he was in college and gave fans hope that a new system was all he needed to deliver the quality of play Crimson Tide fans had been used to seeing a few years prior. Though that is still a possibility — and a strong one, at that — Dorsett and Humphrey's presence on the roster is a clear indicator that Jeudy is not at 100% right now. Whether that means he will not be seeing the field tomorrow, or if it is simply a way to give the star receiver some relief between reps, is to be seen.