Montee Ball entered this season hoping to emerge as one of the NFL’s elite running backs.

It didn’t happen.

Needing to clear room for linebacker Danny Trevathan and tight end Dominique Jones on their 53-man roster, the Broncos placed Ball and safety Quinton Carter on the season-ending injured reserve list Saturday.

Ball, a second-round pick in the 2013 draft, had such a promising rookie season (559 yards rushing and an average of 4.7 per carry), the Broncos were comfortable allowing veteran Knowshon Moreno to leave as a free agent.

Ball was Denver’s undisputed No. 1 tailback through organized team activities and minicamp this year. But three days before the preseason opener, the former Wisconsin star had an emergency appendectomy. He was sidelined for two weeks, and didn’t seem to have the same explosiveness when he returned.

Still, he was the Broncos’ starting tailback in their first four regular- season games. But while blocking against Arizona in Week 5, he suffered a groin injury. He returned six weeks later and reinjured the groin on his second play. Now his season is finished. He rushed for 172 yards and averaged 3.1 per carry in five games.

With Ball down, Ronnie Hillman produced two 100-yard rushing games. And when Hillman suffered a sprained foot, undrafted tailback C.J. Anderson had consecutive games of 167 and 168 yards rushing.

While the Broncos are hopeful Hillman can return for the regular-season finale Dec. 28 against Oakland, Anderson is similar in style to Ball. That might have been a factor in putting Ball on season-ending IR.

Trevathan, the Broncos’ top weakside linebacker, is returning after missing 11 of their first 13 games with two separate fractures in his left kneecap area.

Jones, a 6-foot-3, 270-pound former college basketball player, is being promoted from the practice squad in part because tight end Jacob Tamme is iffy for Sunday’s road game against the San Diego Chargers because of bruised ribs and Julius Thomas is returning with caution after missing the previous three games with an ankle injury.

Carter may have played his last game with the Broncos; he also couldn’t stay healthy after a promising start. A fourth-round pick in the 2011 draft, Carter made 12 starts at safety during his rookie season, including two playoff games.

He essentially missed the next two seasons, though, to recover from microfracture knee surgery. He returned to play in 11 of the Broncos’ first 12 games as a nickel safety this season, but knee pain resurfaced last week.