Evan Engram Will Play in Week 4 Against Cincinnati

Evan Engram missed a week due to a back injury. He will return on Monday night against Cincinnati in a must-win game for Denver.

Sep 7, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) in the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Evan Engram was listed as questionable earlier in the week but it came out on Thursday thatEngram practiced and was flying on Thursday. Then, he practiced again Friday and by Saturday, it was announced that Engram would play on Monday night versus the Cincinnati Bengals. He takes back the TE1 position from Adam Trautman who played in Engram's absence last week.

The even better news is that it appears Engram might be more of a target in the offense on Monday. Engram only had four catches for 33 yards on six targets in 2025 so far.

Fantasy Football Impact

One immediate impact with Engram is actually on the running side of the ball. Denver has averaged 5.2 yards per carry but the Tight End gives Bo Nix the option to audible off some running play and use Engram in the short passing game. Trautman was not getting any separation whatsoever. Engram, even at 31, can manage that.

This opens a few things for the Denver passing game which has been lackluster. On the bright side, the Broncos have cleaned up the turnover side of the ball but they need the Tight End to get down the middle of the field and not just sit there after a few yards. Engram still has the speed to gain separation even at intermediate ranges.

Here’s Sean Payton on #Broncos TE Evan Engram today. Said Broncos are a “better offense” when he’s on the field.

Asked him how they can deploy Engram so teams don’t key on him as a pass-catcher.

“There’s a lot of run plays … where he’s on the field and doing various things.” pic.twitter.com/DRj5bIeGTH

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) September 27, 2025

Denver knows they need this game and badly. At 1-2, the Broncos are two games behind the Los Angeles Chargers. They cannot be concerned about Kansas City. Their focus must be on beating the Cincinnati Bengals. Engram gives them the best opportunity from the Tight End position to stretch the field.

You can view the latest Tight End rankings for Week 4. I would place Engram a little hire than where Trautman is now. Cincinnati's defense has been somewhat better in 2025 but 752 yards yielded the past two weeks offers hope for the Denver offense. Again, Peyton and Nix need to open things up and Engram is a decent start.

With Engram In, What Can This Do For Nix and More?

Again, Nix's numbers are down in year number two. He is only attempting 31.67 passes per game. The yards per attempt have slid down from 6.7 to 5.6. Overall, the trend has improved slightly but overall passing needs to be stronger. Nix was averaging 222.1 yards per game in 2024. A 20% drop is significant especially in this offense.

This also helps Troy Franklin and Courtland Sutton get open for longer gains. Secondaries have been able to clamp down on Sutton and Franklin too easily. Anything that opens up the playbook will help Denver's fortunes in Week 4 versus Cincinnati. Finally, it will help fantasy football owners with a deep Tight End option too.