The last thing you want in any NFL game is an injury to a key player. The last thing you want in the very last preseason game is for any key player on your team to get hurt, and it seems like the Denver Broncos avoided disaster with wide receiver/return specialist Marvin Mims Jr.
Mims had missed a significant amount of time during training camp with an injury as well, and had finally worked his way back to practicing fully in recent weeks. He needed a tune-up before the regular season, so the Broncos threw him out there in Friday night's blowout win over the Minnesota Vikings, only to have him hobbling off the field after a play.
Jarrett Stidham was targeting Mims down the right sideline on a broken play, threw a pretty ugly pass, and MIms hurt himself attempting to make a play on the ball. After hobbling back to the sideline, he was taken into the blue medical tent for further evaluation before heading into the locker room.
Considering how the scene looked, Sean Payton's update after the game was a huge sigh of relief.
Sean Payton said WR Marvin Mims Jr. suffered a "bruise" in Denver Broncos' preseason finale
According to Payton during his postgame press conference:
"With (Marvin) Mims, he's going to be fine. It's a bruise."
That's music to the ears of everyone in Broncos Country. Mims was clearly frustrated after the play on which the injury occurred. After he hobbled over to the sideline under his own power, he slammed his helmet to the ground with some force, and proceeded to be examined by the medical team.
Considering he's already missed some time at camp -- and was also showing visible signs of frustration when that injury occurred -- you can understand why the All-Pro return man was upset.
The Broncos need Marvin Mims, and he's proven to be one of the most clutch players on the roster. He might even have the best overall hands on the team. Mims has been an integral part of this team's success the past few seasons, especially in that Divisional Round win against the Bills.
It seemed like he was trending toward a much bigger role in the offense prior to his training camp injury, perhaps even being the 3rd or 4th receiver in the pecking order on the roster. The Broncos were getting him involved early and often at camp, and there was almost not a day that went by in which Mims wasn't making a play.
This is a big year for Mims, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract with the Broncos. He has a lot at stake this season, so missing any portion of time could be detrimental.
The Broncos certainly need him in the return game, at the very least, even if he's still taking a backseat to others offensively. But what we've seen and heard from Mims this offseason, it's clear that he's ready for the next step in his evolution as a player.
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