Sean Payton delivered the kind of update Broncos fans were hoping to hear on Pat Surtain.
The Denver cornerback went down with an ankle injury in the Week 4 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and there was immediate concern about how long he might be out. But Payton said he does not expect Surtain to be placed on injured reserve.
“That’s jumping way ahead,” Payton told reporters. “I don’t think so, and if they were I wouldn’t say so, but I don’t think so.”
That doesn’t lock in anything, but it does point to a more optimistic outlook than the worst-case scenario many were bracing for. Surtain, a two-time first-team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection, has been one of the Broncos’ most important players and one of the league’s premier defenders.
He’s already posted 21 tackles and one pass defensed this season, adding to a career that has been stacked with production since Denver made him a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Over his professional career, Surtain has totaled 300 tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 60 passes defensed, 12 interceptions and two touchdowns.
For the immediate future, though, Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers looks like a likely miss. Surtain did not practice on Wednesday, which makes his availability for that matchup doubtful at best.
Still, the bigger takeaway for Denver is that the team appears to be expecting him back within the next three weeks, rather than shelving him for an extended stay on injured reserve. That alone changes the tone around this injury.
In Other News...
Rockies Cannot Waste Warren Schaeffers Progress With This Roster Again
Warren Schaeffers first full season running the Rockies did not come with a winning record, but it did come with something Colorado has lacked for far too long: clear signs of progress. After taking over for Bud Black in 2025 and having the interim tag removed, Schaeffer guided a team that still lost 104 games in 2026 but improved by 15 wins from the previous year, while young pieces started to give the lineup a little shape. Rookies TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg supplied encouraging production, and the anticipation around Charlie Condons eventual arrival only adds to the sense that the offense is finally pointing somewhere.
Paul DePodesta has already credited Schaeffer for the work hes done, and the front office seems to believe the manager has earned more runway. The problem, as DePodesta made clear, is that progress from the dugout can only carry a roster so far when the pitching still lags behind. For the Rockies, the encouraging signs around Schaeffer and the young bats are real, but they also sharpen the warning: if the roster isnt upgraded in a meaningful way, another season of growth could again be swallowed by the same old imbalance. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Just Gave Fans Another Reason To Question Their Loyalty
The Rockies are asking fans to keep buying in, even as the on-field product keeps giving them reasons to look elsewhere. After another rough year capped by a fourth straight losing season, the team announced plans to raise season ticket prices for 2027, a move that lands awkwardly for a club that has already spent years trying to rebuild trust with its base.
Team president Walker Monfort framed the increase around the economics of running the franchise, pointing to the clubs traditionally low ticket prices, rising minimum wage costs and lost TV revenue. Still, for a fan base that watched Colorado finish with the worst record in baseball and continue to struggle with engagement, the timing only adds another layer to the frustration surrounding a team already fighting an uphill battle for loyalty. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Face A Brutal Pitching Reality After Another Last-Place Year
Another last-place finish left the Rockies staring at the same problem that has dogged them for much of the recent rebuild: the pitching. Colorado went 58-104 in 2026, worst in baseball for a second straight season, and the rotation and bullpen never found enough stability to climb out of the league basement. The teams ERA sat at the bottom of the majors, a blunt reminder that even modest progress elsewhere can get buried when the mound work lags this far behind.
The offseason arrives with little certainty and plenty of turnover. The front office has already acknowledged the pitching mess and signaled that it will try to add arms for 2027, even though drawing pitchers to Colorado remains one of the sports toughest selling jobs. One thing makes the challenge even sharper: several familiar starters are headed back into free agency, leaving the Rockies with even more work to do before spring training begins. [Read more 🡒]