Jaylen Waddle is Trending Up, But the Broncos' Play-Calling Needs a Checkup

Calling a reverse for a star receiver who is already nursing a chest injury is the kind of offensive wizardry that gets a coordinator a pat on the back in the film room and a furious glare from the medical staff. That is exactly the self-inflicted wound the Denver Broncos are dealing with right now.

Luckily for Denver, they might avoid the worst-case scenario. According to Ian Rapoport, Jaylen Waddle is trending in the right direction to suit up this Sunday after aggravating his chest issue during last week's 30-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

"Ian Rapoport reported Waddle is 'trending in the right direction to play.'"

Waddle managed four catches for 48 yards before taking a hit that sent him to the locker room. You do not need an advanced degree in anatomy to know that absorbing a high-speed tackle directly into a bruised torso is a miserable experience.

This entire saga has left bettors and fantasy managers stranded in the worst place in sports: the late-week waiting room. Player props for the Denver passing attack have been frozen or heavily shaded while Waddle logged limited practice sessions on Thursday and Friday to earn a questionable tag.

The timing of this injury drama is brutal for a 5-2 Broncos squad. The Kansas City Chiefs are coming to town fresh off a completely bizarre 20-3 meltdown against the Seattle Seahawks.

Kansas City is going to be furious, and Denver needs every ounce of its offensive firepower to keep pace with a division rival looking to publicly bounce back. A decoy version of Waddle simply will not get the job done against a defense desperate to erase last week's embarrassing tape.

We will find out exactly how much contact Waddle can tolerate when the final inactives drop before Sunday night's kickoff. Until then, the ceiling for the Denver offense remains entirely up in the air.