Jamaal Charles shows off speed, toughness in debut
The Denver Broncos saw an opportunity to take a risk on Jamaal Charles, and in one preseason game, he showed off speed and toughness…
There was perhaps no offseason move taken with a bigger grain of salt than the signing of Jamaal Charles by the Denver Broncos.
Coming off of two seasons derailed by knee injury and recovery, the expectations for Charles at the age of 30 had basically hit rock bottom.
He signed a very modest contract with the Broncos, one that would have only paid him $100,000 if he didn’t make the final roster. Charles bet on himself, and after spending the last few months continuing to strengthen his knee, it looks like all of his hard work is paying off.
Did @jcharles25 secure a spot on the Broncos roster?
— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2017
Check out his best plays from #GBvsDEN! https://t.co/8w7bJgWnP7
It’s just one preseason game, but it’s exactly what we all wanted to see from Charles.
Well, maybe not if you’re a fan of an opposing AFC West squad.
Not only did Charles show off some of his explosiveness and ability to make cuts, he showed he’s willing to stick his nose in for pass protection and make a hit.
I never knew how good @jcharles25 was in pass protection pic.twitter.com/OljxNJ5QO5
— ThatsGoodSports (@BrandonPerna) August 28, 2017
It’s been too long since we’ve seen this version of Charles. He’s still obviously hungry to be a great NFL back, and he’s in a good situation with the Broncos and their deep stable of backs.
More from NFL Mocks
- 2024 NFL Mock Draft Journal: Cardinals, Falcons tank for USC QB Caleb Williams
- Patriots News & Rumors: Ezekiel Elliott talks fun in Foxboro; Mills to Packers?
- Fantasy Football: 5 reasons Colts QB Anthony Richardson can be a top-end option
- Packers’ Lukas Van Ness will make a Lambeau leap into the NFL in 2023
- 2024 NFL Draft: Hunter Haas’ Top 50 Big Board
Denver head coach Vance Joseph talked earlier in the offseason about getting Charles anywhere from 10-15 touches a game, and they’ve been monitoring his reps in practice very closely.
Charles didn’t even get to work in 7-on-7 drills until the second week of camp, and the Broncos intentionally held him out of the first two preseason games to make sure he was fresh for the dress rehearsal.
There were some who felt like that game against Green Bay was Charles’ only shot to make the Broncos’ roster, but they had treated him like a roster guarantee almost from the start. It seemed like Charles’ roster spot was only in jeopardy if he wasn’t healthy enough to play, and the Broncos confirmed he would be on that opening day roster.
Charles will share carries in the Denver backfield with C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker, and De’Angelo Henderson this season.