ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — When they estimate 4 to 6 weeks recovery from an injury, it’s almost never the former and even the later target date is often missed.
From now on, Jonas Griffith has the right to say he’s a quick healer. After suffering a dislocated left elbow on the second play of the Denver Broncos’ first preseason game Aug. 13 against the Dallas Cowboys, Griffith was expected to be sidelined 4 to 6 weeks.
He was back practicing Tuesday, just 24 days after the injury and was a full participant in practice Thursday.
“From the time it happened I was locked in on being ready week 1,’’ Griffith said prior to practice Thursday. “The training staff and doctors put together a pretty good plan for getting me ready. It’s about 99% as strong as the other arm so it’s feeling really good.’’
Griffith was acquired from San Francisco about this time last year for special teams purposes, but he wound up starting the final four games last year at inside linebacker that lost player after player to injury. Now he gets to start the season opener against the Seahawks in Seattle.
“That’s something I’ve dreamed of as a kid to play a game in an atmosphere like that,’’ Griffith said. “Now you’ve got to go out there and make plays and help the team win.”
Decker visit
It’s been a run of popular No. 2 receivers at UCHealth Training Center this week. It was Emmanuel Sanders’ retirement ceremony Wednesday. On Thursday, Eric Decker popped in. His wife, country music star Jessie James Decker, is playing at the Ogden Theatre on Thursday.
“Decided to pop over and see the guys and check out the facilities,’’ Decker said.
Has it been that long? Decker was a Bronco from 2010-‘13. The Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse went up in 2014. And all the headquarter and training center renovations were done a couple years after that. A third-round draft pick in 2010, Decker emerged during the Tebow season of 2011 with a team-leading 44 catches for 612 yards and 8 touchdowns, then put up big numbers for Peyton Manning in 2012-13.
Decker had 85 catches for 1,064 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2012. The next year he had 87 catches for 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns. He then became a free agent and wound up collecting $25.5 million over his next four seasons.
And it wasn’t just Peyton. In 2015, Decker had 80 catches for the Jets for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns.
After Sanders and Decker, all the Broncos need is for Ed McCaffrey to step away from his Northern Colorado head coaching duties to visit Friday and former Amigo Mark Jackson to stop by Saturday and the team's run of top No. 2 receivers will be complete.
The other QB
He may not be Russell Wilson. But Seattle’s longtime NFL backup quarterback Geno Smith does have a trio of top targets in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and former Broncos tight end Noah Fant. And Smith is better than a career-long backup, according to Broncos safety Justin Simmons.
“Geno is a great quarterback,’’ Simmons said. “When he drops back, a lot of the times he knows exactly what he’s getting. Like I said, when you have a good running game, which Seattle has, it makes your timing passes that much more important. For him when he’s out there, he’s got that mental clock and DK and Lockett do such a good job of getting open. Now, adding a wrinkle in with Noah. Known him for a long time -- a great tight end in this league. He adds an extra layer to their pass game and it’s going to be a challenge for us in the backend.
“Obviously, Geno is a great quarterback. He’s been in the league for a long time. Knows what he’s doing, knows what he’s looking at and it’s going to be fun to get after it.”
High praise for a quarterback who started his first two seasons with the New York Jets but only five in the six seasons since. Smith has 34 touchdown passes against 37 interceptions in his career. He went 1-2 as a replacement to the injured Wilson last year.
Injury report
Griffith’s inside linebacker partner Josey Jewell (calf) was limited in practice Thursday, as was right tackle Billy Turner (knee), outside linebacker Randy Gregory (shoulder/knee) and slot receiver KJ Hamler (knee/hip). Turner, Gregory and Hamler have been gradually working their way back from offseason surgeries.
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