2026 Week 5 Fantasy Football Breaking News: Pat Bryant Headed to IR

The Denver Broncos are placing wide receiver Pat Bryant on injured reserve, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media as reported by ProFootballTalk (NBC Sports). The move comes just two days after head coach Sean Payton said Wednesday he didn't think Bryant would land on IR — but something shifted in Denver's assessment of his ankle injury, which Bryant suffered in last Sunday's loss to the 49ers. Bryant will miss at least the next four games: at the Chargers, home vs. the Seahawks (Week 6), at Arizona, and home vs. the Chiefs.

Pat Bryant

Bryant is out for the foreseeable future, so drop him in redraft leagues unless your roster has room to stash him. He had nine catches for 133 yards and a touchdown through the early part of this season, so he was contributing — but with a minimum four-game absence, he has zero fantasy value right now. Dynasty managers should hold; the IR designation doesn't change his long-term outlook, and you can stash him without burning an active roster spot.

The immediate question for redraft is who absorbs his targets in Denver's offense. The source story does not name a specific replacement or depth option stepping up, so monitor the Broncos' practice reports and official injury designations before Sunday's game at the Chargers to identify who benefits from the vacancy in their receiver room.