The Denver Broncos seem to have quite the crowded backfield heading into 2024, and they seemed to avoid a major injury with one of their rookies. After another OTA practice in the books, Sean Payton again addressed the media and gave us some clarity on Audric Estime, the Broncos rookie RB from Notre Dame:
Sean Payton said rookie running back Austin Estime had precautionary knee scope after a tweak last Thursday.
— Henry Chisholm (@HenryChisholm) May 30, 2024
All good news. Broncos taking conservative approach.
“He’ll be available at the start of training camp.”
Knee injuries are never good, no matter the position, but it does seem like the Denver Broncos avoided a disastrous injury with Estime, who figures to have a nice role in the offense during his rookie season. You may be asking yourself what a knee scope even is.
"Knee arthroscopy is a surgical procedure that allows doctors to view the knee joint without making a large incision (cut) through the skin and other soft tissues. Arthroscopy is used to diagnose and treat a wide range of knee problems.Orthoinfo.aaos.org
During knee arthroscopy, your surgeon inserts a small camera, called an arthroscope, into your knee joint. The camera displays pictures on a video monitor, and your surgeon uses these images to guide miniature surgical instruments.
Because the arthroscope and surgical instruments are thin, your surgeon can use very small incisions, rather than the larger incision needed for open surgery. This results in less pain and joint stiffness for patients, and often shortens the time it takes to recover and return to favorite activities."
Looks like Estime truly did avoid disaster. The Broncos have another rookie running back in Blake Watson, who signed on as an undrafted free agent. Incumbents at RB include Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, and Jaleel McLaughlin. With five viable players in the room, you have to wonder if there is one or even two odd men out, and who they'd be.
Samaje Perine seems like someone who is a safe bet to be cut or traded, and I would not personally be shocked if McLaughlin was on shaky ground, believe it or not. Had this knee issue turned into something more serious, the Broncos would have missed out on one of their rookie's first seasons in the NFL, which would have been a huge shame.