The Broncos have now won five games in a row and are tied with the New England Patriots for the second-best record in the NFL. Now 6-2, the Broncos do have a bit of wiggle room going forward, and that's a huge advantage of getting out to such a fast start.
Sure, us as fans want to think about just how far this team could take this winning streak, but with how much parity there is in the NFL, injuries and other events are bound to happen, so the Broncos have afforded themselves a game or two of miss-room, if you will.
That might not be a wise way to think of the situation, but it's also not wrong. On Monday evening, some brutal news dropped regarding cornerback Patrick Surtain II and the injury he suffered in the Broncos' Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Patrick Surtain II seems likely to miss a month, at least
Jordan Schultz is reporting that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year has a pectoral injury and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, which could mean a short stint on IR is possible for the best defensive back in the NFL:
Sources: #Broncos star CB Patrick Surtain II is dealing with a pectoral injury and is expected to miss 4–6 weeks.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 27, 2025
No surgery is needed, but I’m told the reigning Defensive Player of the Year will get a second opinion this week to confirm the timeline. pic.twitter.com/VeaYpWpyjF
Patrick Surtain II already has nine passes defended on the season and won the DPOY award in the 2024 NFL Season. Up to this point, Surtain had missed just two games in his NFL career, so he's been incredibly reliable. Now having played 74 games in the regular season, Surtain has amassed 11 interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, and 56 passes defended.
He is, simply put, a generational type of player at the position and someone who is going to leave a gaping hole in the Denver Broncos' defense. His status for the remaining three games before the bye are all but guaranteed to be known, but I guess there is always a shot he could return in Week 13. The Broncos are on the bye in Week 12.
What the team might angle toward is getting through these next three games without Surtain and hoping he can indeed return against the Washington Commanders in Week 13. When you think about it, the bye might be perfectly-timed in this regard, as the Broncos would be on their stretch-run at that point.
However you slice it, though, this is some brutal news. It's good that Surtain won't miss the rest of the year, and also good that Dre Greenlaw is likely to return in Week 9, but the Broncos simply can't seem to get fully healthy on defense, and it's really a shame.