The Denver Broncos are on the cusp of an appearance in the Super Bowl, as they are a win away from winning the AFC title.
Ahead of their AFC Championship clash against Drake Maye and the New England Patriots at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver this coming Sunday, the Broncos shared some good news on the injury front, with center Luke Wattenberg seemingly on the verge of returning to action.
“We've designated C Luke Wattenberg for return from IR,” the Broncos announced on Wednesday, via a social media post on X, formerly Twitter.
With that, the Broncos have 21 days to activate him off the injured reserve, and given that it's the playoffs, the team can be expected to do just that anytime before the showdown against New England.
The 28-year-old Wattenberg was placed on the injured reserve following the Broncos' Week 16 game againt Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars at home. Before his IR designation, the former Washington Huskies offensive lineman started in 15 games in the 2025 NFL campaign.
Wattenberg has been with the Broncos since 2022, but it was only in the 2024 campaign that he started to become a regular starter for the team. Over the last two seasons, he has started in 28 games and has made a significant impact on Denver's offense.
According to Pro Football Focus, Wattenberg is ninth among 40 centers with a 70.9 overall grade. His 71.0 pass blocking grade on PFF is 11th best, while his run blocking rating of 74.4 is ninth best.
The Broncos signed Wattenberg to a four-year, $48 million extension in November.
