ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — With Tyler Badie's back injury coming one week before rookie running back Audric Estime is eligible to be activated from injured reserve, the Broncos needed some running back reinforcements.
The Broncos brought in two running backs for tryouts Tuesday -- Salvon Ahmed and Elijah Dotson -- and Ahmed won the audition. Denver signed Ahmed to its practice squad Tuesday and released receiver Kaden Davis from its practice squad.
Badie suffered a back injury Sunday against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. The injury was severe enough that Badie had to be strapped to a backboard and carted off the field. He checked out OK and was able to fly back to Denver on a non-team flight Sunday evening but it's a serious enough football injury that he is expected to be out a few weeks.
Estime has been sidelined since the opener at Seattle with an ankle injury. He can return next week when the Broncos host the Los Angeles Chargers.
In the meantime, the Broncos host the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High this Sunday. The Broncos have starter Javonte Williams and backup Jaleel McLaughlin at running back. Undrafted rookie Blake Watson is also on the Broncos' 53-man roster but he has been inactive in each of the team's first four games.
Ahmed, 25, is a 5-foot-11, 197-pound back from the University of Washington. Undrafted in 2020, Ahmed signed with the 49ers as a college free agent, but when he was among their final cuts, the Miami Dolphins claimed him off waivers.
Ahmed played four years with the Dolphins with his best year his rookie season of 2020 when he rushed for 319 yards and three touchdowns -- 122 yards and one score coming in a December win against New England -- but he's primarily been a No. 3 back since. Ahmed has been out of action since the Dolphins waived him on Aug. 19.
Dotson, 25, rushed for 929 yards as a sixth-year senior for Northern Colorado and head coach Ed McCaffrey in 2022. Undrafted in 2023, he played in four games for the Chargers last year but was among their final cuts on Aug. 27.
