As the Broncos have strung together a three-game win streak, reinforcements are on their way back. Both cornerback Damarri Mathis and running back Audric Estime returned to practice Wednesday, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson and KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
These are two different transactions, despite both players’ 21-day return windows being the same. The Broncos used one of their newly allowed preseason return designations on Mathis. The third-year corner already counts toward Denver’s eight in-season activations. Injured in Week 1, Estime does not. Once the rookie is activated, the Broncos’ count will drop from seven to six.
Trade interest came in for Mathis late this summer, but the high ankle sprain he sustained in Denver’s preseason finale cooled any talk of a swap. The Broncos, despite Sean Payton not being in place as HC when Mathis was drafted (Round 4, 2022), wanted to hold onto the former starter anyway.
Though, Mathis’ route back to the team’s starting lineup is currently closed. Riley Moss has seized the boundary gig opposite Patrick Surtain. Pro Football Focus rates Moss, a 2023 third-round pick who played mostly special teams as a rookie, as the league’s No. 7 overall corner. The Iowa alum has started all five Broncos games, forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass early in his second season.
Mathis returning would, however, supply depth for a Broncos secondary that also has an established slot starter (Ja’Quan McMillian). Mathis won the Broncos’ CB2 job out of training camp last year, having kept it after being the team’s Ronald Darby replacement in 2022. Denver, however, benched Mathis for Fabian Moreau early last season (Moreau is now with the Vikings). While the Pittsburgh product was relegated to ST duty after that October 2023 demotion, he has made 17 career starts. Mathis would join free agency pickup Levi Wallace as the Broncos’ top backup corners.
A fifth-round pick, Estime saw brief offensive action against the Seahawks in the Broncos’ opener but went down with an ankle malady. The Broncos have seen improvement from Javonte Williams in recent weeks, and Jaleel McLaughlin operates as the starter’s top complementary piece. Denver, however, recently placed Tyler Badie on IR. That stands to open a spot for Estime once he is ready to return. Rookie UDFA Blake Watson resides as the team’s current No. 3 running back.