Broncos have no one but themselves to blame for latest rivalry blunder

The Denver Broncos revealed their 53-man roster expected to travel to Seattle for their Week 1 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. For the most part, the roster revealed little surprises.

As expected, Denver is carrying three quarterbacks as both Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham made the team alongside starter Bo Nix. One of the big surprises, though, saw the team choose to release Samaje Perine.

On the surface, that didn't seem like a big deal. Perine was fine depth to have, but he didn't feel like a player worth freaking out about. Well, that was until he immediately went and signed with the Kansas CIty Chiefs. That, my friends, is something that the Broncos probably regret.

Broncos allowed the rich to get richer with Chiefs signing Samaje Perine

Is Samaje Perine a game-changing move for Kansas City? No, not really, but he gives them quality depth at a position in which they were lacking it.

Isiah Pacheco should carry a tremendous load in Kansas City's backfield, but NFL teams need more than one running back in a 17-game season plus what the Chiefs hope to be a deep playoff run.

The only running backs who made their initial 53-man roster were Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a player who averaged just 3.2 yards per carry last season, and Carson Steele who is more of a fullback and has no NFL experience.

Perine has spent the last four seasons primarily serving as the RB2 for both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Broncos and he has had a good amount of success, averaging over 4.0 yards per carry. Last season, he rushed for 238 yards on 53 carries, averaging 4.5 yards per attempt in Denver. You'd think that'd be enough for him to make the roster. His best contributions came as a third-down back.

The 28-year-old has consistently been a reliable backup, and there's no reason to expect him to take a step back in Kansas City this season. In fact, he might even take a step forward with how talented their offense is compared to what Denver's was in 2023.

The Broncos are set to give Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin most of the snaps in their backfield, with younger options like Audric Estime and Blake Watson also in the mix.

This won't be the difference in a division that heavily favors the Chiefs with or without Perine, but the Broncos allowing their rivals to get better, even if the impact is marginal, essentially for free is not ideal at all, and it's their own fault.