How KJ Hamler "earned the right" to more opportunities

KJ Hamler still isn’t locked into a role.

“That’s not up to me,” Hamler told DNVR. “It’s out of my control.”

The Broncos’ third-year wide receiver has seen his usage bounce all over the place. Take a look at how often he was on the field to start the year:

Week 1: 61% of offensive snaps

Week 2: DNP (hip/knee)

Week 3: 26%

Week 4: 8%

Week 5: 53%

The ups and downs aren’t always easy to cope with. Players, including Hamler, don’t know how much they’ll be on the field until after kickoff. When Hamler played four total snaps against the Raiders, he stood on the sideline not knowing when his first rep would be until his number was called in the third quarter.

“When you’re not out there, it’s like, ‘Man, I can contribute. I can help the team out,'” Hamler said. “When I’m not on the field, I feel like I’m not helping.”

According to offensive coordinator Justin Outten, Hamler could be in line to help more against the Chargers on Monday Night Football.

“We’d love to get KJ more involved,” Outten said on Friday. “He’s earned that right to get more opportunities.”

Last week’s box score doesn’t suggest that Hamler earned more opportunities. He was on the field for more than half the game, was targeted two times, and wound up with one catch for 10 yards.

Nothing special. At all.

Hamler could have had at least three more big plays when he was wide open, but the ball wasn’t thrown in his direction. One of those plays, which you might remember, was when he came free on the last play of the game for a walk-in touchdown.

KJ Hamler was slamming his helmet after the game. For good reason… pic.twitter.com/l5BbcyEeGt

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 7, 2022

But that’s all “woulda, coulda, shoulda” type stuff. The most impactful contribution from the 5-foot-9, 179-pound receiver came as a blocker, which was a surprise.

“I blocked linebackers my whole career at Penn State,” Hamler said. “They were all 250, 240 (pounds). I’m used to blocking bigger dudes.”

When the Broncos lined up inside their own 10 in the fourth quarter, they asked Hamler to pull across the formation and lead block for Melvin Gordon in the hole. While Hamler has taken on linebackers, this play was the first time he’d been used as a pulling lead blocker in his football career.

“You’ve just gotta blackout at that moment,” he said about sprinting into the hole.

It worked. Gordon picked up 17 yards.

“A lot of people don’t expect me to be doing this,” Hamler said. “Sometimes you’ve got to. I’ve got no problem with it. That’s just the dog in me.”

When Hamler was on the field, the Broncos threw the ball much more often than they ran. His sample size as a blocker was, admittedly, small. But out of 18 Broncos who blocked against the Colts, only two were more effective than Hamler, according to Pro Football Focus. Both were offensive linemen, Garett Bolles and Dalton Risner.

“It’s just a mentality that you’ve gotta have throughout football,” Hamler said. “You can’t be a complete player without having that little bit of blocking.”

Hamler probably wasn’t hoping to have two catches in the first five weeks of the season. His sights should have been set much higher. In the past two games, though, he’s maximized his opportunities. He made good blocks and got open against the Colts. One of his four plays against the Raiders was a 55-yard catch.

“Whatever time I get, or whatever plays I get, I’ve just gotta take advantage of it,” Hamler said. “Just gotta put your feelings aside and do what’s best for your team.”

According to Outten, more opportunities could be on the way.