"Wide receiver Eddie Royal almost certainly will be one of the Broncos' kick returners this season, but coach Josh McDaniels said the hunt is still on to choose who will give Royal some help.

Because Royal's primary role is on offense, the Broncos likely won't expose him to the risk of injury that would come with kickoff and punt returns. So rookies Alphonso Smith and Kenny McKinley have done the bulk of the work so far in the preseason, and rookie Nate Swift returned two punts in Seattle.

However, McKinley and Smith bobbled kickoffs in the Broncos' 27-13 loss to the Seahawks on Saturday night, and McKinley later fumbled on another return.

Asked after the game if he would take another look at who's taking the kicks, McDaniels said: "Yeah. I mean, Eddie is definitely going to be a factor in the return game whether it be kickoffs or punts. Both of the young kids, they've done some good things. (Saturday) they had a couple bobbles; you know nobody likes that. Kenny put the ball on the ground. We'll look at everything and evaluate it as we go along."

Wide receiver Chad Jackson did some limited work returning kickoffs for the Broncos last season and could be one option. The team would prefer that Royal return punts and let someone else return kickoffs.

Smith suffered a right leg injury Saturday that could limit him. Trainers worked on, and then wrapped, his leg just above his knee.

Royal said contributing factors Saturday may have been the rookies' zeal in trying to make a play and the Seahawks' Olindo Mare kicking a difficult ball to handle.

"For the last few years, a lot of people have been fumbling. He kicks a weird ball," Royal said. "Then Kenny got hit right on the ball. That's a tough play right there. You live and you learn. . . . You have to look it all the way in. Sometimes as soon as it hits your pads, you want to look and see where the defenders are. . . . As a returner the first thing"