The veteran running back is coming off a season-ending injury but will try out for the Broncos in hopes of cracking their 90-man roster.
According to a report from NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, former Bengals running back Chris Evans will participate in the Broncos’ rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
Former #Bengals RB Chris Evans will participate in #Broncos rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
A sixth-round pick out of Michigan in 2021, Evans appeared in 34 games over his first three seasons in Cincinnati before missing 2024 with a ruptured patella tendon. He’s full-go now.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 28, 2025
Evans was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft after a productive career at Michigan. He would play for the Bengals from 2021 through the 2024 season while totaling 89 rushing yards and 19 receptions for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Evans suffered a torn patellar tendon during a Bengals training camp practice last August and missed the entire 2024 season. Now, with him fully recovered from that injury, he’ll look to crack the Broncos’ 90-man roster with this tryout during their rookie minicamp this weekend.
The Broncos are likely an attractive tryout spot for running backs due to the uncertainty with their room currently. They did select running back RJ Harvey in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he figures to be a big part of the offense this upcoming season, but after him, things become more uncertain.
The roles of Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin are uncertain at this point and time and players like Tyler Badie and Blake Watson will be pushing for a roster spot as well. So, if Evans impresses during this tryout, he could have a shot to compete for a roster spot on the Broncos roster.
With that said, Evans has been fairly unproductive during his time in the league. He has just one start, which came during his rookie year, and has only 19 career rushing attempts for 89 yards. He has been productive as a pass catcher, which could be appealing to Payton and the Broncos, but I am not sure if he offers anything more than the current backs on the roster.
Evans will join veteran quarterback Desmond Ridder as a veteran tryout during this weekend’s rookie minicamp. We shall see if either player impresses enough to crack the Broncos’ 90-man roster after the practices this weekend.