This week, Audric Estimé must carry around a reminder of his fumbles

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — A weathered football sat beside Audric Estimé on Wednesday afternoon inside the Denver Broncos locker room. Wherever the rookie running back went, it came along with him.

But as he answered questions, the football wasn’t tucked under his arm.

“I’m supposed to be holding it,” Estimé said. “But I just got out of practice. I’m gonna be holding it the rest of the day.”

This is the penance for his second fumble in nine carries over three regular-season games. He also lost a fumble in the preseason, giving him three fumbles in 33 total touches overall.

That is a small sample size, to be certain. But that rate of one fumble every 11 touches is incompatible with extensive playing time for a running back. In 2022, Melvin Gordon III got cut with a fumble rate of one every 23.0 touches.

It’s a problem Estimé knows he must fix.

“I’ve just gotta take care of the ball. That’s what comes first. The ball comes first,” he said. “And if you can’t hold the ball, you can’t be a functional offense. So, I’ve just gotta be more cautious of it.

“And no matter what, ball security trumps extra yards.”

And if he needs a reminder, he needs only look at the football he spent Wednesday carrying. The ball goes “everywhere, honestly,” although Estimé noted there was one exception.

“Not the shower,” he said, smiling.

But when it was time to grab lunch in the team cafeteria, a balancing act would be required.

“I got two hands to reach. I’ll hold it in one hand,” although he said he would put down the football when it actually came time to chow down. “But besides that, I’ll be holding on to it.”

Even though Estimé is just a rookie, there is urgency to the moment — at least in regards to his playing time, thanks to the fierce competition within the running-back room.

Javonte Williams leaped back to the top of the heap with his performances in recent weeks. His emergence only came after Tyler Badie succumbed to a back injury against the New York Jets; since that injury, Williams has averaged 5.15 yards per carry.

Badie had worked his way into a more prominent role, but a pulverizing hit administered by All-Pro Quincy Williams put that progression on pause. But he is eligible for return from injured reserve in Week 9, when Denver faces Baltimore.

And in the meantime, Jaleel McLaughlin continues to find his footing in his change-of-pace role. After a slow start, McLaughlin has averaged 5.05 yards per carry in the last four games.

There isn’t room for a high fumble rate in the mix. And that’s why Estimé accepts that he must lug a reminder around Broncos Park Powered By CommonSpirit.