ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — RJ Harvey is already off to an encouraging start to his Broncos career.
Only three rookies have more touchdowns through 10 weeks than the Broncos' second-round pick, and Harvey recently became the first Denver rookie since Clinton Portis in 2002 to post three touchdowns in a game.
He notched the longest touchdown run by a Denver player since 2021 and became the first Broncos rookie running back since 2018 to earn Rookie of the Week honors.
And in the eyes of his teammates, he's just getting started.
"RJ is special," wide receiver Courtland Sutton said Wednesday. "We call that boy the 'ATH' [athlete]. … He's not just a running back. He's a very special dude. The dude can do a little bit of everything. The dude can run the ball, obviously, but watching him catch the ball out of the backfield and catching and carrying. The thing that's scary is that I feel like he's barely scratching the surface of his potential of what he can do in the league. I think guys are just now seeing a little bit of what he's capable of. He's dangerous. The dude has incredible balance, incredible speed. You pair that up with a guy that can catch the ball out of the backfield, get matched up with a linebacker that can't run as fast as him, it's a dangerous combination.
"I'm looking forward to continuing to watch RJ flourish and develop and turn into the guy that we all know he can be, and he knows he can be."
Harvey could get extra opportunities to demonstrate that ability in Sunday's Week 11 matchup with the Chiefs. Head Coach Sean Payton said "nothing has been decided yet" in regard to whether to place J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve after the veteran rusher did not practice Wednesday, but Payton did say Harvey would receive increased work against Kansas City.
"When we drafted him, it was [for] his running skill set, and he had a lot of touches," Payton said. "… Then you have experience in a guy like Jaleel [McLaughlin], who is explosive and has been champing at the bit. I think sometimes players are not held back, but when you are watching Pat Bryant grow right in front of our eyes and you're starting to see that with RJ, and, obviously, he'll have more opportunities here in this game. … When you see his frame, he's built to last — and that's important."
The UCF product hasn't received more than four carries in five of the last six weeks, but he did total nearly 100 all-purpose yards in Week 4 when he received 18 touches and averaged 5.4 yards per touch. He also averaged north of 6 yards per touch in the Week 8 win over the Cowboys when he scored three touchdowns.
Harvey has scored five touchdowns over the last four games and posted at least 50 scrimmage yards in two of the last three contests, and his improvement has caught his teammates' attention.
"Obviously, the talent that he has and the movement skills and the strength is really, really impressive," tackle Mike McGlinchey said. "He's a great worker. … He's gotten better and better every week."
Against a Kansas City defense that ranks fourth in scoring defense and likes to bring pressure, finding balance in the run game will likely be critical. And as Denver looks to keep its ninth-ranked rushing offense on track, Harvey could be a key piece of that equation.
"Honestly, the more carries he gets, probably the better he'll be," quarterback Bo Nix said. "We know what he can do out of the backfield, but we're excited to see him. I guess [the] situation calls for him to take the next step, and he looked really good today at practice. I think you just see the confidence growing more and more each week — and for a young guy … all it comes down to is confidence, believing that you belong here, knowing that you know you're the best one on the field and you can go out there and show it. I think he's just going to continue to find his way. Whether that's running or catching, blocking, doesn't matter.
"I think he's a great team player, and he can find a way to get it done for us."
