The Broncos have made it through two weeks of training camp, and the injury list has already started to grow. Once the pads came on last Monday, the bumps and bruises followed, and a few players have already missed time.
The toughest blow came late last week when Jordan Jackson Henningsen tore his Achilles on Day 7, the same injury he suffered one year earlier in a joint practice against the San Francisco 49ers, only this time it happened during individual drills. The Broncos have already placed him on injured reserve.
It was a brutal setback for the 27-year-old, who now faces another long rehab after back-to-back training camp Achilles injuries. Former Broncos receiver Tim Patrick is an example of a player who came back from injuries like that, but Henningsen has a steep road ahead.
Luke Wattenberg was injured on Day 3 and still hasn’t returned to practice. Sean Payton hasn’t offered much detail, which is usually how he handles injuries unless he has to say something.
The one update came when Payton said, "I think he’ll be fine.” Wattenberg’s status matters even more because he’s the Broncos’ starting center and is coming off the four-year, $48 million extension he signed last November.
Alex Forsyth has been taking the first-team reps in his absence, and Monday will be Day 9, so the Broncos will be watching closely to see whether Wattenberg can move from side work with trainers back into team drills.
Nik Bonitto was also sidelined briefly after a leg injury on Day 4, but he was back on the field by Day 7. The two-time Pro Bowler is a major piece of what Denver wants to do this season, so his return was a welcome one. It would not be a surprise if the Broncos manage his workload with a few veteran rest days as camp goes on.
On the receiver side, Trent Sherfield Waddle went down on Day 5 while running a route on air. Bo Nix’s throw was headed his way when Waddle pulled up in pain.
He left with trainers and has not been a full participant since. On Day 6, he was on the side field with a noticeable limp, and Payton said, "I think we’ll see him back in the next four to five days,” after practice.
By Day 7 and Day 8, Waddle still wasn’t practicing, though the limp was gone.
Marvin Mims Jr. was injured on Day 7 after leaving the field wincing and grabbing at his inner left leg. He did not return that day, and he also sat out the Broncos’ planned scrimmage on Day 8. With Payton away for Drew Brees’s Hall-of-Fame induction, there wasn’t a chance to get a coach’s update, but the injury does not appear to be serious.
P.J. Key was another player who ended up working off to the side on Day 8 after not being seen getting hurt.
He didn’t take part in the scrimmage, either. Even so, this also doesn’t seem to be anything major.
Key is in the mix for the No. 3 safety job, and with P.J. Locke gone to Dallas in free agency this spring, there’s a real opening for him to climb the depth chart.
He was a first-team All-Pro last year on special teams.
Tight end Adam Trautman Adkins left early on Day 7 and was walking off with trainers alongside Mims. He was back on the side field Day 8, but the severity of the injury remains unclear.
Adkins is Denver’s best blocking tight end, yet he’s got real competition behind him with rookie draft picks Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley pushing for roster spots. He’s probably the No. 3 tight end right now, though a longer absence could change that picture.
Cornerback Fresch was held out of drills on Day 7, though it isn’t clear how he got hurt. He worked on the side field that day and was also out of the Day 8 scrimmage. The former UFL standout has flashed in camp, but extended time away could slow that momentum, especially with Denver’s cornerback room already packed.
Undrafted rookie McCullough has now missed three straight days after sitting out on Day 5. His injury hasn’t been identified, and he still hasn’t made it back to full practice. For a rookie trying to earn reps, that’s a tough break, especially at a crowded position.
Toward the end of the Day 8 scrimmage, Uwazurike left early with trainers. There was no update afterward with Payton away, but the Broncos had Sunday off to rest, so the hope is he’ll be back on Day 9. He’s been one of the camp’s biggest standouts so far, even if Malcolm Roach still looks like the favorite for the starting spot opened by John Franklin-Myers’s departure in free agency.
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