Broncos place Tyler Badie on injured reserve and hope he can return

The Broncos placed running back Tyler Badie on injured reserve Saturday, according to the league transaction wire.

Badie, 25, injured his back Sunday against the New York Jets and did not practice at all this week. He will miss at least four games, but sources told the Denver Post last week that he hopes to return to the field later this season. He will first be eligible to return Week 9 in Baltimore.

Badie provided juice to a Broncos running game that lacked production through the first two weeks of the season. He rushed for 70 yards in Week 3 at Tampa Bay, then was placed on the active practice squad roster before a Week 4 game against the Jets.

Badie was hit and fumbled the ball against the Jets. He walked off the field on his own, but then fell onto the Denver sideline and was pinned to a backboard and taken to the locker room on a cart. After a hospital evaluation, he was released later that day and returned to Denver a few hours after the team.

Badie has 11 carries for 86 yards this season.

The Broncos will rely primarily on Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin on Sunday against Las Vegas and will likely have rookie Blake Watson active on game day for the first time if they continue their normal trend of having three active backs for every game.

Denver also signed Salvon Ahmed to the practice squad earlier this week, but did not bring him up for game day.