Going into Sunday’s showdown with the Houston Texans, it seems fair to wonder if this might be running back Jaleel McLaughlin’s last game day with the Denver Broncos.
McLaughlin (5-7, 187 pounds) originally joined the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Youngstown State in 2023. He totaled 1,142 yards from scrimmage and scored six touchdowns through his first two seasons in the NFL, but he’s been a healthy scratch for all but one game this season (we’ll see what his status is for today’s game).
Denver coach Sean Payton has featured J.K. Dobbins and rookie RJ Harvey on offense while Tyler Badie mixes in for passing situations. Badie is a better blocker than McLaughlin, which seems to be the reason why he’s gotten the nod for RB3 duties. Meanwhile, the Broncos also have Deuce Vaughn available on the practice squad.
So if general manager George Paton opts to trade McLaughlin ahead of the NFL’s deadline (Nov. 4), Denver would still have four running backs with Dobbins, Harvey, Badie and Vaughn. If there’s not room for McLaughlin on the game-day roster, it would make sense for the Broncos to move him for a draft pick. We’ll find out on Tuesday.
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