Exhale, Denver Broncos fans: Pat Bryant’s ankle injury does not appear to be a long-term issue. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday morning that the second-year wide receiver is expected to miss “a few weeks” after spraining his ankle in Denver’s 24-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Bryant went down on a 30-yard catch-and-run that helped set up a Wil Lutz field goal, then finished the game with three catches on three targets for 47 yards. If that recovery window stretches to four games or more, the Broncos could move him to short-term injured reserve, which would keep him out until roughly Week 9 and beyond. Even that scenario would leave him back in time to help during the stretch run.
Denver is also waiting on more clarity for cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss, who left Sunday’s game at Levi’s Stadium with lower leg and rib injuries, respectively.
Bryant’s absence matters because he has been one of the few steady pieces in a passing game that has struggled to find any rhythm. Outside of Week 2, the Broncos’ aerial attack has been described as anemic and frustrating to watch, with Bo Nix’s checkdown-heavy approach becoming easy to predict on a snap-by-snap basis.
The source material notes that Bryant and Jaylen Waddle have been central to the passing game, while Courtland Sutton and Evan Engram have largely disappeared. It also points out that RJ Harvey caught as many passes against the 49ers as Bryant, Waddle, Sutton and Engram combined.
A third-round pick out of Illinois last year, Bryant had a strong rookie campaign after a slower start and gradually cut into Troy Franklin’s snaps as the season went on. His momentum was interrupted by a concussion in Week 16 that landed him in the hospital, then another concussion and a hamstring injury in the AFC championship game limited him through the postseason.
This summer, though, Bryant looked sharp in training camp and locked down the No. 3 receiver job behind Sutton and Waddle. He also played a major role in both of Denver’s wins this season, which is why his injury lands as a real blow, even if it’s only for a few weeks.
The Broncos do have some depth to work with. Franklin remains in the mix, Marvin Mims Jr. is healthy again, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey is on the practice squad. If Bryant does go on short-term IR, Humphrey would be expected to move back onto the active roster.
In Other News...
Illinois Suddenly Has A Chance At A Historic 2028 Class
Rivals latest update to its 2028 basketball rankings gave Illinois recruiting momentum a noticeable boost, with three Fighting Illini targets landing among the top 10 nationally. Brady Pettigrew, Dylan Betts and Benjamin Berrouet all checked in near the top of the class, and each has already taken or is scheduled to take an official visit to Champaign, giving Illinois an early foothold in what could become a defining cycle.
The most intriguing part for Illinois is how well positioned it appears with all three. The program is currently favored to sign Pettigrew and Berrouet, while Betts is also very much in the mix, leaving the Illini with a real chance to build around an elite trio before the class even fully takes shape. For a school that has been trying to sustain national relevance on the recruiting trail, this is the kind of early alignment that can change the ceiling of an entire class. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Underwood Just Gave Illinois Fans More Reason To Believe In Quentin Coleman
Illinois fans already had plenty of reason to circle Quentin Coleman as the headliner of the 2026 class, but Brad Underwood offered another reminder at media day that the buzz is not just about recruiting rank. The Illinois coach pointed to Colemans competitiveness, his shooting and rebounding, and the way his game has started to mature in areas that often separate a promising prospect from a true impact player.
For Illinois, the encouraging part is that Coleman is not being framed as a long-term project. Underwoods praise suggested a freshman season with real expectations attached, even if some parts of his game will still need to be tested in live action. The next step will be seeing how all of that translates once the speed, physicality and decision-making demands of college basketball start coming at him for real. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Just Got A Big Ten Label Fans Will Want To Debate
The Big Tens preseason buzz around Illinois kept building this week when the league unveiled its 11-man All-Big Ten preseason team, and David Mirkovic and Andrej Stojakovic both made the cut. It was another sign that the Illini are very much part of the conversation entering the season, with their roster drawing attention from around the conference before a game has even been played.
The Columbus Dispatch took the discussion a step further with its unofficial preseason poll, placing Illinois No. 1 ahead of Michigan State and Michigan. The paper also handed out its own preseason awards framework, where Quentin Coleman drew votes for Freshman of the Year and Stefan Vaaks received votes for Transfer of the Year, giving Illinois fans plenty to debate about just how high this group can climb. [Read more 🡒]