Broncos Place TD Machine on IR, Add Ex-Saints WR to Roster

In a move sure to raise a few eyebrows in the Mile High City, the Denver Broncos have placed wide receiver Brandon Johnson on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, Denver elevated fellow wideout Tre'Quan Smith from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 8's tilt vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton touched on Johnson's wrist injury on Friday, but nothing he said foreshadowed a move to IR. The demands of football often force sudden decisions.

“There was one play where he strained it," Payton said of Johnson. "We’re just kind of—today, we held him back. We will see where he’s at. It was towards the end of practice. Likely, he’ll be more of a game-time decision.”

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So much for the "game-time decision." Johnson hitting IR doesn't portend well for what remains of his 2023 campaign.

Through seven games, Johnson has eight receptions for 123 yards and a whopping three touchdowns. His three scores rank second on the team, behind only Courtland Sutton's five.

Johnson hasn't been as utilized in the Broncos' passing attack as perhaps he should, but he's offered Russell Wilson quite the bang for his buck when targeted, scoring touchdowns on 37.5% of his receptions. Johnson's big play of the season was his hail-mary catch in Week 2's loss to the Washington Commanders.

Meanwhile, Smith joined the Broncos back in early October, spending the month on the practice squad. The former New Orleans Saints receiver stands at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, and has a history with Payton.

The 27-year-old Smith was a New Orleans third-round draft pick back in 2018, earning 29 starts under Payton and totaling 112 receptions for 1,468 yards and 17 touchdowns. Smith knows how the sausage gets made in a Payton offense.

The Broncos will need all the help they can get against the 6-1 Chiefs on Sunday.

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