After signing tight end Evan Engram to a lucrative two-year contract this past spring, the Denver Broncos have yet to get a return on investment. Through the first four weeks, Engram has caught just eight passes for 62 yards.
The veteran tight end missed Week 3 with a back injury, so that skews the numbers slightly. Still, he’s on pace for just 34 receptions and 264 yards this season.
Obviously, Engram’s integration into Sean Payton’s offense hasn’t gone as planned, though there has been the setback of a pair of injuries. Nevertheless, Payton isn’t losing any sleep over it.
“I think a lot of it is the script. There are times where you definitely look to involve him, but we don’t come off a game like last week and then look at who got touches,” Payton said of Engram’s involvement. “We’re not playing the fantasy game. We’re trying to win.”
Fans can understand what Payton is saying, but let’s face it: Engram has failed to launch at the quarter pole of the season.
It would be one thing if Engram were a highly-touted draft pick, still new to the NFL, and finding his way. But this is his ninth NFL season, and he’s with his third club. He knows how the sausage gets made.
How much of Engram’s lack of impact has to do with the ankle injury he suffered in Week 1 and played through in Week 2, which was then compounded by the back injury that kept him out of Week 3? It’s hard to say, but just the fact that it caused him to miss a game means that the injury bug has limited his impact.
How much of Engram’s sputtering start has to do with quarterback Bo Nix’s uneven play this season? Probably quite a lot, honestly. But we saw things begin to trend upward for Engram in Week 4, as he received a season-high seven targets, catching four for 29 yards. Payton was trying to get Engram cooking.
The most important thing to Payton isn’t Engram’s stats; it’s the standings. But we know how cognizant the Broncos’ head coach is of feeding his key guys statistically, and that stretches back to all those years he spent with the New Orleans Saints.
“Sometimes, I can recall over the years, big wins against tough teams and maybe a player like [former Saints TE Jimmy] Graham or [former Saints WR] Mike Thomas didn’t [get many touches], and it’s not intentional. These guys are going to cloud [WR] Courtland [Sutton]. They’re going to put their best corner on him at times. Some of that is how that game unfolds.”
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Sep 29, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) celebrates with Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
We’ve seen that happen already, where Sutton is receiving double-team attention. It was especially prevalent against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3, where Sutton only had one catch for six yards.
In those situations, Payton, Nix, and Engram have to make opponents pay when they “cloud” Sutton and keep a safety over the top. I include Payton because the only routes in which we’ve seen Engram targeted are either shallow crossers or dump-offs.
We haven’t seen Engram running routes downfield much, nor is his big body being used down the seam as a mismatch advantage. Everything has been underneath.
On one hand, I understand that Payton is trying to get Engram the ball on the run and in space, and see if he can use his speed and athleticism to pick up some yards after the catch. But on the other, does that have to be the only way Engram touches the ball?
The good news is that, up to this point, he’s been such a non-entity in the Broncos’ offense that it’s possible opponents are sleeping on him.
Sunday’s East Coast road tilt vs. the Philadelphia Eagles could present some prime opportunities to throw some Engram routes into the mix that opponents have yet to see. If the Broncos can get the run game going on the road, the play-action game could come alive, and Engram could be one of its biggest beneficiaries.
We know it’s not fantasy football, coach. But you’re paying Engram $11.5 million per year, for crying out loud. At some point, the Broncos need to see a contribution commensurate with his paycheck.
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