The Broncos have several moving pieces to deal with on their roster as they start preparing for the biggest game of their season to date.
Running back J.K. Dobbins was not seen during the portion of practice open to reporters on Wednesday. His absence didn’t come as a major surprise after a Thursday night foot injury and a long weekend spent gathering opinions and information, but it is significant nonetheless.
Dobbins, 26, isn’t just Denver’s leading rusher. He’s been the one consistent playmaker on a unit that overall has been up and down through the season’s first 10 games. He enters Week 11 ranked seventh in the NFL in rushing yards per game (77.2) and tied for 12th at 5.0 yards per carry. He’s had 61 or more rushing yards in all but one game so far this season and has gone over 100 yards twice.
Dobbins was just one of several players who didn’t practice Wednesday.
The others: CB Pat Surtain II (pec), tight end Nate Adkins (knee), inside linebacker Alex Singleton (testicular cancer), outside linebacker Jonah Elliss (hamstring) and wide receiver Trent Sherfield (toe).
Surtain and Adkins have each missed the past two games. Singleton told reporters Monday he’s out at least this weekend and is hoping that additional diagnostic testing comes back clean and his recovery from surgery to remove a tumor allows him to be back on the field soon. Elliss missed time earlier this year with rib and shoulder injuries and dropped out of Thursday’s win over Las Vegas with a hamstring issue.
Welcome back to several. The team is signing receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey off of the New York Giants’ practice squad, and he’s expected to practice with the Broncos on Thursday. Inside linebacker Garret Wallow’s 21-day window to return from injured reserve opened Wednesday when he returned to practice.
The Broncos roster at present is full at 53, so a corresponding move will be required when Humphrey joins the team and again when Wallow is activated, whether that’s this week or in the next three. Wallow was a full practice participant Wednesday, meaning he’ll have a chance to play Sunday if the Broncos think they need him on special teams or in the inside linebacker rotation with Dre Greenlaw and Justin Strnad.
Denver also brought back two familiar players to its practice squad in OLB Garrett Nelson and WR Michael Bandy.
Nelson, the former Nebraska edge rusher has been on and off Denver’s roster since training camp. He practiced Wednesday.
Bandy has been a practice squad staple and was promoted to the 53-man roster last week before being waived recently. He had to wait to clear waivers before re-joining the Broncos, so once he went unsigned Wednesday afternoon, he was cleared to sign back to Denver’s practice squad.
After he officially cleared waivers Wednesday, Bandy was was back at Denver’s facility running sprints after practice.
Mims returns: Amid the flurry of absences, a welcome sight for the Broncos Wednesday: WR Marvin Mims Jr.’s return to practice as a full participant.
He was estimated as a limited participant two days last week, but missed a second straight game due to a concussion sustained late in a blowout win over Dallas.
Full practice work is the final step to clearing the league’s concussion protocol, meaning barring any setback Mims will be set to play Sunday against the Chiefs.
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