ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — In the 2016 election season there was plenty of talk about a specific ‘wall’. Now that the election is over and the NFL regular season is in the home stretch there is another wall that is becoming more relevant: the rookie wall.
The rookie wall is a theory that rookies in the NFL start to become more fatigued than veterans right around the time the college football season comes to an end because rookies aren’t yet conditioned for the longer NFL season.
Conveniently enough, this past weekend marked the conclusion of the college football regular season and with only five weeks left in the NFL season this is the time some rookies hit the wall and fizzle out.
However, the Broncos’ most valuable rookie, running back Devontae Booker, hasn’t seen any signs of the rookie wall.
“I feel great, body feels good. I don’t think I hit any wall, and plan on not hitting that wall,” he said.
While no rookie plans on hitting the wall, Booker refuses to fade as the season progresses because of his importance to the team.
“This team needs me; this offense needs me a lot,” he said. “I can’t hit that wall at all, I just got to continue to grind week in and week out and do the things that I need to do to help my team win.”
Booker’s confidence in how much the offense needs him is indeed true. Since C.J. Anderson was placed on the injured reserve after Week 7 the offense has turned to Booker as not only the starter, but also the workhorse in the backfield. Additionally, with the loss of fullback Andy Janovich to the injured reserve, Booker’s health is even more important in an already injured backfield.
In his four starts, all in the previous four games, Booker has carried the ball for an average of just over 19 times a game and has been on the field for over 55 percent of the offensive snaps in all four games.
A potential reason why Booker hasn’t hit the rookie wall is because he only played sparingly in the first third of the season. In the first six games of the season Booker only played in over 25 percent of the teams offensive snaps once (41.4 percent against the Atlanta Falcons). Although this could help keep him fresh for later in the season the fourth-round draft pick doesn’t think this is the reason.
“No I don’t think it was that,” he said. “[I just] prepare my body throughout the week and get extra treatment when I need to and doing the right things that I need to do to keep my body fresh.”
Booker’s answers aren’t just a front for the media either. They are the same answers he gives to the veteran players on the team who are concerned about the rookie wall for the running back.
“Some of the vets ask me about it. They are like, ‘have you hit the wall yet?’ And I’m like, ‘No, I don’t hit no wall,’” he said. “I can’t hit that wall because the team needs me and the offense needs me.”
Coming off his best game as a starter on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs—24 rushes for 79 yards—Booker will have another great opportunity to prove he isn’t fatigued this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars have the ninth worst rushing defense, giving up 116.6 yards per game on the ground.
With Anderson out at least until the playoffs, and only two active running backs on the active roster, Booker is by far the most important rookie on the team. Depending on if Booker hits the theoretical rookie wall may very well determine the potential of the offense, and thus potentially how far this team will go.
