There's "no cause for concern" regarding Denver Broncos rookie running back Blake Watson, who landed on the Non-Football Injury List earlier this week after sustaining a "slight leg muscle tweak," 9NEWS' Mike Klis reported Monday.
Watson is expected to be "fine" (presumably for the bulk of training camp) and was placed on NFI only as a "procedural matter."
"Per source, RB Blake Watson suffered a slight leg muscle tweak. He's fine," Klis posted on X. "Broncos put him on NFI as a procedural matter because tweak occurred during dead period. No cause for concern. Watson a priority undrafted rookie who got $25K signing bonus and $275K guarantee."
A projected late-round selection, Watson went undrafted this past spring despite an impressive 2023 campaign at Memphis where he set career highs across the board: rushing yards (1,152), yards per carry (6.0), rushing TDs (14), receptions (53), receiving yards (245), and receiving scores (3).
The 5-foot-9, 195-pound back is a two-way threat, showcasing his ability as a patient runner and a smooth pass-catcher, with enough speed to house any touch from any point on the field.
Once cleared to return, Watson could throw a wrench into an already-muddied Denver backfield that includes established veterans Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine, rising sophomore Jaleel McLaughlin, and fifth-round rookie Audric Estime.
Broncos coach Sean Payton has loosely compared Watson's talents to that of
five-time Pro Bowl RB Alvin Kamara, whom Payton helped develop in New Orleans.
"Look, we use that ‘joker’ term a little bit. That was one of the traits though that stood out," Payton said in June. "He was one of those guys again in the seventh round, sixth round, but we saw a player that was natural catching the ball. That was a big draw. When we read a player, that was a draw to his vision. What’s the vision? So now we’re learning more about him. I’m not making the comparison, but when [the Saints] drafted Kamara, we saw that vision, but we didn’t realize the other things in the running game. The first handoff in the preseason I think against the Chargers, he went 52 yards for a touchdown. And we were like, ‘Man, we can hand the ball off to him.’ But if you asked me the traits that attracted us to Blake, it was certainly that that we saw in the passing game, and you saw pretty good football IQ too."
