Broncos RB Audric Estime out until training camp with knee injury

The Broncos will miss running back Audric Estime for a while, but the rookie appears to have avoided serious injury after dropping out of practice a week ago.

Estime, the fifth-round draft pick, hurt his knee during May 23’s open practice and was not in attendance this week. Head coach Sean Payton, though, said the hope is he’ll be ready about two months from now when training camp opens.

“We went ahead and did a (platelet-rich plasma injection) and a small scope procedure just to make sure everything is clean. It is,” Payton said Thursday of Estime. “He’ll be available for training camp. So, we won’t see him working through the rest of these OTAs, but on the conservative side he’s going to be just fine. It was all good news.

“He’ll stay in rehab, but he’ll be full-go at the start of training camp.”

Estime, listed at 5-foot-11 and 227 pounds, had a healthy three years at Notre Dame. He appeared in 37 games over three collegiate seasons and had a relatively light workload overall. Last year was his heaviest at 210 carries. For his career, he rushed 373 times, averaged 6.2 per carry and scored 27 touchdowns.

Javonte’s big offseason. Payton, meanwhile, said fourth-year running back Javonte Williams continues to improve as he moves further and further past an Oct. 2022 knee injury.

“He’s been looking good,” Payton said. “Historically speaking when you talk to the expert, complete heal finishes at two years. Obviously you begin playing before then. But he’s been doing well, he’s in shape. …  The challenge last year when you think about it, even in training camp was it was still early enough in the process that it was hard for him to go full speed with confidence. And yet we were building and getting him to where we all felt comfortable he could play.

“I think he’s looking forward to this year and certainly the confidence in and health of his knee.”

The Broncos added Estime and undrafted free agent Blake Watson and also have Tyler Badie back after a 2023 spent on the practice squad. Combine that trio with Williams, Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin and it’s clear there’s going to be quite a battle for roster spots going forward through the summer.

Attendance notes. Second-year corner Riley Moss was held out with a minor back issue.