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This is a pivotal year for Devontae Booker. The Denver Broncos running back is heading into the final year of his rookie contract, and needs to deliver. Denver drafted him in the fourth round back in 2016, and he initially earned a big role.
As a rookie he was the starting running back at times, and ended up finishing the season with 174 carries. He also added 31 receptions, so he was very involved in the offense. He missed several games due to injury in 2017, and his playing time has dipped ever since. Last year, he ended up with just 34 carries.
Rookie Phillip Lindsay burst onto the scene last season and made the Pro Bowl, so he would seemingly have a tight grip on starting duties. Booker acknowledged the past couple of years haven't gone his way:
Article Continues Below“Really, it hasn’t been the best, but like I said, I just keep fighting through it and do what I need to do out there on the field and doing what the coaches need me to do,” per Zack Kelberman of 247Sports. “I’ll just continue to do so.”
Booker said he plans on competing for the starting job despite the presence of Lindsay and Royce Freeman.
“Absolutely. That’s just how my approach is to it,” he said. “I’m pretty sure every guy in our room wants to be the feature guy. They want to go out there and work at it each day to be that guy. I’m not just going to sit here and say that I don’t want to be that because I know that I can offer a little more. As of right now and how my role is, the pass protection and being a pass catcher out of the backfield, that’s just where they need me right now.”
Booker clearly isn't going to go down without a fight.
He'll be a free agent next offseason, and if he wants to earn a big contract this is the type of mentality he'll need to have.
