ENGLEWOOD – It’s now next five men up for the Broncos.

All week long, with their injury situation, the Broncos have talked about “next man up.” And on Friday, they officially ruled out five players for Sunday’s big game against Kansas City.

It had been expected throughout the week that star running back J.K. Dobbins (foot) and star cornerback Pat Surtain II (pectoral) would be out, along with inside linebacker Alex Singleton (testicular cancer surgery), outside linebacker Jonah Elliss (hamstring) and tight end Nate Adkins (knee). None practiced during the week.

“It’s always next man up,’’ center Luke Wattenberg, using the company line, said after Friday’s practice at Broncos Park. “Everyone who has stepped up has done a great job (this season). Next man up. We’ve got a lot of depth and I think it shows with how well we’re playing.”

The Broncos (8-2) have a chance at Empower Field at Mile High to increase their lead in the AFC West over the Chiefs (5-4), who have won nine straight division titles. The only player on Kansas City’s final injury report Friday was running back Isiah Pacheco, who is out with a knee injury.

“We’ve been talking about this game against them for years,’’ said Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz. “This is what it’s all about. They’ve been at the top of this division going on a decade now. So there’s a lot on this game. I think everyone knows that.”

Meinerz said, “the injuries suck,’’ but he expressed confidence in Denver’s replacements. He said rookie running back RJ Harvey “is ready for the challenge” of replacing Dobbins.

Dobbins was hurt Nov. 6 against Las Vegas, and the Broncos are continuing to evaluate his foot. The Denver Gazette reported Tuesday that placing Dobbins on injured reserve is a possibility. If the Broncos opt to shelve Dobbins on Saturday, he would miss at least four games.

“I’m ready,’’ said Harvey, who has 50 carries this season for 214 yards but has only had one game of more than seven attempts. “Whatever coach (Sean Payton) needs me to do, I’m ready to go on the field. I had a great week of practice and am just ready to go.”

Surtain will miss his third straight game after suffering a strained left pectoral muscle Oct. 26 against Dallas. He will be replaced by second-year man Kris Abrams-Draine, who has done a capable job so far of filling in for the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Singleton, who was ruled out for Sunday’s game after undergoing testicular cancer on Nov. 7, will be replaced by Justin Strnad, who looked good this season when Dre Greenlaw was out for the first six games due to a quad injury and then was suspended by the NFL for the game against the Cowboys.

The Broncos also could have back as a reserve inside linebacker Garret Wallow, who was designated for return from injured reserve on Wednesday after missing four games with a hamstring injury. He was listed Friday as questionable for Sunday and is a good bet to be activated Saturday.

The loss of Elliss, Denver’s top reserve at outside linebacker, will be addressed by Dondrea Tillman, as well as rookie Que Robinson getting snaps behind Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper.

Adkins was also hurt against the Cowboys. He has been replaced in the past two games by the Broncos elevating Marcedes Lewis, 41, off the practice squad to be the third tight end.

“We’ve had a good week,’’ Payton said. “These guys are focused. They certainly understand the significance of the game.”

A Broncos win would all but eliminate Kansas City from the AFC West race and would extend their seven-game winning streak and their 10-game home streak, the longest current one in the NFL. But the Chiefs are coming off a bye week, and coach Andy Reid is 22-4 in his career in that situation.

Reid went 13-1 after a bye week with Philadelphia from 1999-2012 and is 9-3 in that position since coming to Kansas City in 2013. Payton said Friday that around 2008, when he was head coach at New Orleans, he consulted Reid to ask him about such success.

“I just called him and said, ‘Hey, what’s your schedule?’’’ Payton said. “He kind of gave me the schedule. We hadn’t done too well at that time (coming off bye weeks), and I kind of adopted it. .. He’s someone I would say I’m close to and have a ton of respect for and a good relationship with.”

Payton is 2-2 against Kansas City since coming to Denver in 2023. The Broncos defeated the Chiefs 24-9 at home in 2023 and 38-0 at home in the 2024 finale to clinch a playoff berth.

But the Chiefs didn’t play starters in that latest game after having locked up the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Now they are desperate to keep their hopes alive of winning another division title.

“Huge game. Huge game. Huge game,’’ Cooper said. “We’re trying to put distance between us (and the Chiefs), but it’s so much respect I have for that organization.”

Defensive end John Franklin-Myers said “it counts as two” in the AFC West if the Broncos win.

“It’s a win for us, it’s a loss for them,’’ said Franklin-Myers, whose Broncos after Sunday’s game have a bye week and don’t play again until Nov. 30 at Washington. “(A victory would) give us eight straight wins leading into the bye and the confidence that goes with it.”

Franklin-Myers was limited in practice Thursday with a back injury. But Franklin-Myers said he was doing fine Friday after being a full participant in practice and not being listed on the final injury report.

So at least it won’t be next six men up for the Broncos.