Sean Payton provides optimism on a pair of injured Broncos as Week 5 hits

The Denver Broncos Week 4 loss to the San Francisco 49ers was a perfect game to learn from, build off of, and put in the rearview mirror. Not only are the 49ers perhaps the best team in the sport, but the heat was a major factor, and it was clear that the Broncos just weren't prepared.

The team is still 2-2 on the year, and they're actually 2-2 for the third year in a row. While this 2-2 might feel a bit worse than the 2024 or 2025 version, there are some very winnable games ahead for this football team.

With that said, the Broncos are currently dealing with injuries to three key starters, and when asked about their statuses after Wednesday's practice, head coach Sean Payton actually provided a bit of optimism.

Denver Broncos' HC Sean Payton responds "I don't think so" when asked about IR for two injured players

Payton was plainly asked if he believed Patrick Surtain II and Pat Bryant would go on injured reserve with their ankle injuries, and he responded with "I don't think so:"

This would be huge. While I don't think so is not a guarantee that they will avoid IR, it does paint a rather exhale-inducing picture for the team. When Surtain went down, the immediate thought was honestly an Achilles injury, as it was a non-contact injury, and Surtain needed to be helped off by two trainers.

Bryant needed to be carted off, and any time you see players leaving the field like that with lower-body injuries, it's not wild to immediately think of the worst-case scenario. Avoiding IR would mean that the training/recovery folks inside the building think that both can return within four games.

Being put on IR means a player has to miss four games, at least. The Broncos are set to play the Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, and Arizona Cardinals from now until October 25th. Denver's game against Seattle is on October 15th and is the Week 6 Thursday Night Football Game.

If both Surtain and Bryant are each missing fewer than four games, the target date to return could be November 1st, which is a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs. In the coming days, there should be more clarity on both players, but for the time being, it truly does seem like the Broncos avoided anything major.

Both Surtain and Bryant are key to what the team does on both sides of the ball, so their return to the lineup, perhaps in 2 or 3 weeks, is huge.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow