Allen's Hamstring Puts Denver's Defensive End Rotation at One Man Against Kansas City

Zach Allen came up lame with a hamstring issue in Wednesday's practice, per the participation report, and is listed as Questionable for the Chiefs game. That's the entire defensive end situation in one sentence. The depth chart behind Allen at DE shows Johnny Walker and Sai'vion Jones, neither of whom has logged meaningful snaps this season. If Allen can't go, Denver is essentially asking players who haven't played to contain a Kansas City offense in what amounts to a revenge game — the Broncos lost 10-31 to the Chiefs in Week 2.

The DE position has been a known fragility all year. There's been only one end with real playing time on this roster, and that's Allen. The Broncos have managed it because Allen has stayed healthy. Wednesday changed that calculus, at least temporarily.

Worth noting the broader picture heading into this week: Jaylen Waddle (chest) is Questionable, Garett Bolles (Questionable) anchors the offensive line, and Talanoa Hufanga remains Questionable in the secondary. Denver is 5-2 and on a three-game winning streak, but the injury list for a team with almost no viable backups at multiple positions is getting long at exactly the wrong moment. Kansas City is the one opponent that will find whatever is broken and press on it. Allen's status by Friday will tell us a lot about how this week goes.