ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After nine years, four Pro Bowl selections, 103 regular-season games, 9,717 yards from scrimmage and 64 touchdowns, Jamaal Charles finds himself in a rather unfamiliar situation.
Charles, who had been the featured player season after season in Kansas City, might now just have one August game -- Saturday night's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers -- to convince the Denver Broncos' decision-makers he’s ready to contribute. Charles has played just eight games in the past two seasons combined because of multiple knee surgeries.
Broncos coach Vance Joseph said Charles would play against the Packers and not in the preseason finale Aug. 31 against the Arizona Cardinals. The Broncos will cut their roster to 53 players by Sept. 2 and have a crowd at running back.
"I'm not sure what we're going to see on Saturday, but he looked great [Tuesday]," Joseph said. "He looked great last week. He is wanting to play football, so hopefully for him it goes well."
In a perfect world, the Broncos would be able to use Charles as a change-of-pace back who is a threat as a runner or receiver for 10-12 plays a game. But to do that they have to be convinced his knees will hold up.
They held him out of team drills throughout the offseason and slowly ramped up his workload as the preseason has gone along. He did not play in the first two preseason games, but the Broncos were pleased with what he was able to do in joint practices against the San Francisco 49ers last week.
"I've been trusting my knees," Charles said after Tuesday's practice. "I was just excited to be in San Francisco and playing against that defense. I saw some of my talent playing against them and everybody else saw what I was doing out there, too. I'm excited to just play football again, basically."
Joseph said Charles would be into the game early against the Packers on Saturday, possibly within the first 15 plays.
The Broncos signed Charles to a one-year deal earlier this year that could be worth as much as $3.75 million. The Broncos saw an opportunity to add a player who has been highly productive when healthy, and Charles saw it as an opportunity to show he could rebound from the last two years' worth of knee troubles.
Charles tore his left ACL in 2011, tore his right ACL in October 2015 and struggled with knee issues in 2016, combining for only 12 rushing attempts in three October games. He then had arthroscopic surgery on both knees during the 2016 season, prompting a move to injured reserve.
"I try not to put pressure on me," Charles said. "I've been playing football going on 10 years and I've been playing football since high school and Pop Warner. Just go out there and have fun, that's the most exciting thing."
The Broncos have some potentially tough choices at running back, as C.J. Anderson has worked as the starter throughout the preseason, Devontae Booker is scheduled to return from surgery to repair a fractured bone in his wrist (possibly as soon as the Sept. 11 opener), rookie De'Angelo Henderson has turned heads with his explosiveness and Stevan Ridley has been a quality addition since camp opened.
That's to go with fullback Andy Janovich, who has a well-defined role in the offense and is a special-teams staple as well. That leave Charles trying to show the Broncos he can add to that mix.
"He told me he was going to be out of the knee brace," Anderson said. "We're excited about that. I'm just excited to see the same No. 25 that I grew up watching and then got a chance to play against when he was over there in Kansas City. Jamaal is a special player, and we know that. The opportunity that he is going to get this weekend is going to be exciting."
"I feel like I'm back to my normal me. I'm back to my normal weight," Charles said. "Last year, I was 195. This year, I'm 204, 205. I'm back to my normal weight, I'm back to [that weight] and whatever I have to do, whatever they want me to do."