Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles (broken leg) and cornerback Ronald Darby (torn ACL) were not the team’s only players to leave Thursday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts with injuries.
Denver also lost inside linebacker Josey Jewell (knee) and outside linebacker Baron Browning (wrist) in Week 5. Hackett said Friday that Jewell will be week-to-week with a sprained knee and Browning will be day-to-day with a sprained wrist.
It’s good news that the injuries to Jewell and Browning weren’t more serious, but injuries are really starting to pile up for the Broncos.
“Injuries are a thing that, as a coach, I can’t control,” Hackett said. “I mean, especially the ones that we’re having. It’s not things that guys are going to be able to come back from. They’re long-term things and that’s a part of this game. As a coach, I can’t control it, I can only move forward. I can only go to the drawing board, grind and try to find ways to put people in good positions.”
Denver will place Bolles and Darby on injured reserve, where they’ll join wide receiver Tim Patrick (ACL), running back Javonte Williams (ALC), outside linebacker Randy Gregory (knee) and safety Justin Simmons (thigh), among others.
With so many key players now sidelined, it will be hard for the Broncos to salvage the season, but the team is taking on a next-man-up mentality.
“The new guys that are going to have to go in there, we have to find a way to make those guys successful,” Hackett said. “That’s our job and it crushes me because they’re such good guys and they’ve worked so hard. We’re 2-3 right now and it’s not where we wanted to be, but that’s where we are. I feel bad for those guys because they can’t be a part of us bringing us out of this, but they are going to be there for us.”
Some good news: Denver’s players have some extra time to recover this week after playing on Thursday with their next game set for a Monday. Everything helps.
