Great news!
According to NFL Network’s lead league insider Ian Rapoport, both cornerback Pat Surtain II and wide receiver Pat Bryant suffered short-term ankle injuries during Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. Surtain II left the field after suffering a non-contact ankle injury. Many feared the worst there, but thankfully, he avoided a serious injury. As for Bryant, we already learned he will miss a “few weeks” due to a sprained ankle, but this confirmation is great to hear.
Honestly, this is great news for both players. After a tough loss to the 49ers and their pesky injury-creating substitution, the fear was that the Broncos may have lost both players for the entire season. Surtain II suffered a non-contact injury and was unable to put much weight on his ankle and needed to be helped off the field. As for Bryant, his knee/ankle bent awkwardly, and he was eventually carted off the field. It did not look great for either player, but again, this is great news.
It remains to be seen if one or both players will be placed on the short-term injured reserve, but we should find that out in the coming days.
With Surtain II sidelined, look for 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron to fill in as a starter. He came in as relief for Surtain II on Sunday and played well. He made a few nice plays in coverage and also had a few big hits on 49ers ball carriers. A lot has been made of his limited snap counts this season, but now he will have an opportunity to prove himself against the Chargers and Seahawks. We still haven’t had an update on Riley Moss and his ribs, but if he cannot play, Kris Abrams-Draine will fill in for him as he did on Sunday.
The Broncos corner depth will be tested early on this season.
I already touched on the loss of Pat Bryant, but the fact it is only a short-term injury is great news. Bryant has become one of the more productive and consistent pass catchers on the team, and his loss is a hit to the already inconsistent Denver Broncos passing game. Reserves Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr., and Lil’Jordan Humphrey will be tasked with filling in for Bryant these next couple of games, at least.
At the end of the day, this is the best-case scenario for the Broncos. Both injuries looked bad, but they escaped major injuries and are expected back sooner rather than later.
