Jaleel McLaughlin

On Monday, coach Sean Payton was asked whether Javonte Williams will miss “extended time,” and whether Jaleel McLaughlin’s role will expand.

“Let’s talk about Jaleel,” Payton told reporters. “He played really well. He’s one of the guys that got a game ball this morning. He was explosive in the run and the pass. He gave us some juice, so we’ll continue to look at his role. Javonte — we won’t mention or comment on until the week progresses. [That’s] typical for us, relative to injuries.”

We reported Sunday that Williams had a hip flexor and wouldn't miss much time. As the story said, the Broncos aren't obligated to disclose injury information beyond the confines of the weekly injury reports. Even if Williams can’t go, the Broncos are likely pleased with what they saw from McLaughlin, a running back found by Payton and G.M. George Paton beyond the seven rounds of the 2023 draft, the story said. He may be worth picking up even without knowing Williams' status for Week 5. It will be a tough home matchup against a good Jets defense in Week 5.