Broncos release Friday injury report: Safety returns with cast

Broncos safety P.J. Locke (thumb) is poised to return to the starting lineup this week, but he will be wearing a cast.

Denver Broncos safety P.J. Locke practiced all three days this week and he appears set to play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday after missing the team’s last two games.

Broncos coach Sean Payton said after Friday’s practice that Locke will wear a small cast on his hand to protect his thumb for several weeks.

Elsewhere on the injury front, center Luke Wattenberg (ankle) was a full participant on Thursday and Friday, but he is officially listed as questionable for Sunda’s game. Once Wattenberg returns from injured reserve, Denver will have to make room for him on the active roster.

Safety Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) and linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) have been ruled out, so they’ll have to wait at least one more week before being activated from the physically unable to perform list.

View the team’s final injury report below.

Player Wed Thur Fri Game Status
DE Zach Allen (NIR – rest) Limited Full Full
DL D.J. Jones (knee) Full Full Full
DB P.J. Locke (thumb) Full Full Full
OT Mike McGlinchey (knee) Limited Full Full
DB Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) Full Full Full Out
C Luke Wattenberg (ankle) Limited Full Full Questionable
LB Drew Sanders (Achilles) Limited Limited Limited Out

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map). Playing at home, KC is considered a heavy favorite against the Broncos.

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Broncos release Thursday injury report: WR still sidelined

Broncos OL Luke Wattenberg (IR) and LB Drew Sanders (PUP) have returned to practice, but WR Josh Reynolds (IR) remains sidelined.

The Denver Broncos opened the windows for center Luke Wattenberg (ankle) and linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) to return from injury lists this week. Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds (finger) is also eligible to return, but the team has not yet opened his 21-day window.

Reynolds remains on injured reserve and the team has not designated him to return. Once he eventually returns to practice, Reynolds will have a three-week window to be activated to the 53-man roster.

Reynolds was shot twice after leaving a club on Oct. 18. The team described his wounds as minor, so that does not seem to be impacting his IR status.

Denver has a backlog of players returning to the active roster soon, and the Broncos probably aren’t rushing Reynolds.

Elsewhere on the injury front, safety P.J. Locke (thumb) fully participated again on Thursday, seemingly putting him on track to play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

View the Broncos’ complete Thursday injury report below.

Player Wed Thur Fri Game Status
DL D.J. Jones (knee) Full Full
DB P.J. Locke (thumb) Full Full
DB Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) Full Full
DE Zach Allen (NIR – rest) Limited Full
OT Mike McGlinchey (knee) Limited Full
LB Drew Sanders (Achilles) Limited Limited
C Luke Wattenberg (ankle) Limited Full

The Broncos will practice again on Friday before releasing a final injury report with game statuses for Sunday’s matchup in Kansas City.

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Broncos release Wednesday injury report: 2 players return to practice

Broncos OL Luke Wattenberg (ankle) and LB Drew Sanders (Achilles) returned to practice on Wednesday.

Denver Broncos safety P.J. Locke (thumb) fully practiced on Wednesday after missing the team’s last two games. Locke now appears set to return to the starting lineup this week. Devon Key filled in while Locke was sidelined for the last two weeks.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Broncos center Luke Wattenberg (ankle) was designated to return from injured reserve and linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) opened his 21-day win to return from the physically unable to perform list.

Wattenberg has three weeks to return from IR and Sanders has the same amount of time to return from the PUP list. If they ae not activated to the 53-man roster within that three-week window, Wattenberg and Sanders will remain on reserve for the rest of the season.

As for the Kansas City Chiefs, quarterback Patrick Mahomes (ankle) fully practiced Wednesday after tweaking his ankle in Week 9.

View the Broncos’ complete Wednesday injury report below.

Player Wed Thur Fri Game Status
DL D.J. Jones (knee) Full
DB P.J. Locke (thumb) Full
DB Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) Full
DE Zach Allen (NIR – rest) Limited
OT Mike McGlinchey (knee) Limited
LB Drew Sanders (Achilles) Limited
C Luke Wattenberg (ankle) Limited

The Broncos will practice again on Thursday and Friday before releasing a final injury report with game statuses for Sunday’s game in Kansas City.

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5 takeaways from the Broncos’ loss to Ravens in Week 9

The Broncos lost to the Ravens on the road in Week 9. Here are five takeaways from the defeat.

The Denver Broncos (5-4) lost to the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) 41-10 in Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season on Sunday afternoon. Here are five quick takeaways from the defeat.

1. P.J. Locke has been missed: Locke has missed the team’s last two games with a thumb injury and there’s been a noticeable dropoff to Devon Key. Locke himself could be a candidate to lose his starting job in 2025, but he’s certainly better than the depth options behind him. The Broncos will undoubtedly hope the safety is ready to return next week.

2. Courtland Sutton can’t do it all at WR: Sutton hauled in seven receptions for 122 yards on Sunday. No other wide receiver posted more than two catches and quarterback Bo Nix was Denver’s only player to catch a touchdwon pass on Sunday. The Broncos lack playmakers at the position and the WRs behind Sutton (ahem, Lil’Jordah Humphrey) are hurting more than they’re helping. Josh Reynolds (finger) is eligible to return from injured reserve next week and the offense could really use him.

3. Bo Nix is still trending up: It certainly wasn’t a great game from Nix, but the blame for his interception falls on Humphrey. Nix finished the day 19-of-33 passing for 223 yards with one turnover and one touchdown catch. He’s getting little help on offense, but the rookie QB continues to show fight. Nix still has some rookie growing pains to get through, but he has the right makeup to have success in the NFL.

4. The Broncos aren’t true playoff contenders yet: Denver’s 5-3 record going into Week 9 might have been a bit of fool’s gold. Mathematically, the Broncos could obviously still squeak into the playoffs this season as a Wild Card seed, but Sunday’s game demonstrated where Denver stacks up against true contenders in the AFC. The Broncos have a young, inexperienced team that’s lacking in depth due in part to the team’s limited salary cap space. All things considered, a 5-4 record is a respectable mark at this point in the season. But Denver’s more pretender than contender at the moment.

5. Expect a quiet NFL trade deadline: It wouldn’t make sense for the Broncos to trade away future draft capital with a splash move at the deadline. Denver’s not one player away from making a run, anyway. It also wouldn’t make sense to part with a player like Sutton — their best WR — when Nix is developing. The Broncos might stand pat at Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Up next for Denver is a road game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

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9 players did not play in Broncos’ loss to Ravens

The Broncos held out nine players from Sunday’s game against the Ravens.

Nine members of the 53-man roster did not play in the Denver Broncos‘ 41-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday afternoon.

Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson*, safety P.J. Locke (thumb), cornerback Damarri Mathis, defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine, offensive tackle Frank Crum, tight end Greg Dulcich and outside linebacker Dondrea Tillman were inactive in Week 9.

*Wilson was inactive but still dressed as an emergency third quarterback.

Jarrett Stidham, Denver’s primary backup quarterback, also did not play as Bo Nix took every snap on offense. Backup offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton was also an unused substitute, giving the Broncos nine players who did not see the field in Baltimore.

Broncos who did not play in Week 9

  1. QB Zach Wilson (emergency third QB)
  2. DB P.J. Locke (thumb)
  3. CB Damarri Mathis
  4. CB Kris Abrams-Draine
  5. OT Frank Crum
  6. TE Greg Dulcich
  7. OLB Dondrea Tillman
  8. QB Jarrett Stidham (active)
  9. OL Calvin Throckmorton (active)

Devon Key filled in for Locke at safety. We’ll see if Locke is able to return in time for the team’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs next week.

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Ravens vs. Broncos: Top photos from Baltimore’s 41-10 win in Week 9

Top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 9 at M&T Bank Stadium

Denver entered the game 5-3 with the NFL’s third-ranked defense, but the Baltimore offense shredded them, as Vance Joseph’s defense surrendered 396 yards and five touchdowns on the afternoon.

The Ravens are 6-3 after a 41-10 win over the emerging Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium.

Here are the top photos from the win.

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Lamar Jackson finished with perfect passer rating as Ravens demolish Broncos 41-10

Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson finished with a perfect passer rating in Week 10 as the Ravens defeated the Broncos 41-10

The Ravens spent all week talking about removing the taste of an ugly loss to the Browns in Week 8. John Harbaugh’s team responded solidly, dominating the upstart Broncos 41-10 at M&T Bank Stadium.

Denver entered the game 5-3 with the NFL’s third-ranked defense, but the Baltimore offense shredded them, as Vance Joseph’s defense surrendered 396 yards and five touchdowns on the afternoon.

With talk about Josh Allen potentially winning MVP, Jackson completed 16 of 19 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, marking his fourth perfect passer rating.

Derrick Henry finished with 101 yards rushing and two touchdowns, moving past Barry Sanders for 10th on the all-time touchdowns list and going over 1,000 yards for the sixth time in his career.

Zay Flowers had another 100-yard game, finishing with 127 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

On defense, Zach Orr’s unit surrendered 319 yards, including 197 passing and, most importantly, just ten points.

Baltimore will now prepare for Cincinnati on a short week and Amazon’s Thursday Night Football.

Broncos vs. Ravens injury report: Denver safety ruled out for Week 9

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (back/knee) has been cleared for Sunday. Broncos DB P.J. Locke (thumb) has been ruled out.

Denver Broncos starting safety P.J. Locke (thumb) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Devon Key is expected to start in Locke’s place against the Ravens.

Elsewhere on the injury front, right tackle Mike McGlinchey (knee) fully participated in Friday’s practice session and he’s been cleared to play.

Meanwhile, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (back/knee) returned to practice on Friday after sitting out on Wednesday and Thursday. Jackson told reporters in Baltimore that his status for Sunday was “never in doubt.” The QB said sitting out two days this week was “just resting my body.” Jackson was not given a game status designation on Friday, so he is officially cleared to play.

View Denver’s complete injury report below. DNP = did not participate.

Broncos injury report

Player Wed Thur Fri Game Status
OT Alex Palczewski (ankle) Full Full Full
CB Pat Surtain (ankle) Full Full Full
DE Zach Allen (NIR – rest) Limited Full Full
DB Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) Limited Full Full Out
OT Mike McGlinchey (knee) DNP Limited Full
DB P.J. Locke DNP DNP DNP Out

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (TV broadcast map). Playing on the road, Denver is considered a big underdog in Week 9.

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Broncos release injury report: Starting safety still sidelined

Broncos safety P.J. Locke (thumb) missed practice again on Thursday.

Denver Broncos starting safety P.J. Locke (thumb) missed practice again on Thursday while right tackle Mike McGlinchey (knee) returned to practice.

Devon Key played in the place of Locke last week and he totaled five tackles. Alex Palczewski started three games in the place of an injured McGlinchey earlier this season. McGlinchey and Palczewski are now both healthy.

As for the Baltimore Ravens, quarterback Lamar Jackson (back/knee) missed practice again on Thursday. His status will be a big storyline to watch going into the weekend.

View Denver’s complete injury report below. DNP = did not participate.

Broncos injury report

Player Wed Thur Fri Game Status
OT Alex Palczewski (ankle) Full Full
CB Pat Surtain (ankle) Full Full
DE Zach Allen (NIR – rest) Limited Full
FB Mike Burton (foot) Limited Limited
DB Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) Limited Full
OT Mike McGlinchey (knee) DNP Limited
DB P.J. Locke DNP DNP

The Broncos will practice again on Friday before releasing a final injury report with game statuses for Sunday’s showdown in Baltimore.

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Broncos injury report: Window opens for safety to return from PUP

Broncos safety Delarrin Turner-Yell (ACL) returned to practice today, starting his 21-day window to return from the PUP list.

Denver Broncos safety Delarrin Turner-Yell returned to practice on Wednesday, officially starting his 21-day window to return from the physically unable to perform list.

Turner-Yell tore his ACL and meniscus in Week 17 last season. The Broncos now have three weeks to active him to the 53-man roster. If Turner-Yell is not activated within three weeks, he will remain on reserve for the rest of the season.

Denver has one other player — linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) — on the PUP list. He’s apparently not ready to open his practice window yet.

Elsewhere on the injury front, safety P.J. Locke (thumb) did not practice Wednesday and right tackle Mike McGlinchey (knee) was also held out.

As for the Baltimore Ravens, quarterback Lamar Jackson (back/knee) did not practice on Wednesday. Ravens coach John Harbaugh described Jackson’s absence as a rest day.

View the team’s complete injury report below. DNP = did not participate.

Broncos injury report

Player Wed Thur Fri Game Status
OT Alex Palczewski (ankle) Full
CB Pat Surtain (ankle) Full
DE Zach Allen (NIR – rest) Limited
FB Mike Burton (foot) Limited
DB Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) Limited
OT Mike McGlinchey (knee) DNP
DB P.J. Locke DNP

The Broncos will practice again on Thursday and Friday before releasing a final injury report with game statuses for Sunday’s game in Baltimore.

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