ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Josey Jewell is nearing his return.
“I’ll be practicing [Friday],’’ the Broncos’ top inside linebacker said.
How about playing in the game Sunday against the Houston Texans at Empower Field at Mile High?
“Yeah, that’s the plan,’’ Jewell said. “You’ll see me on the third field running around today.”
He was there Thursday for a second consecutive day. Jewell initially strained his calf during a drill last week.
“I was leaning forward and going to strip the ball on a little turnover circuit stuff and all the sudden it just kind of tightened up on me,’’ Jewell said.
It was both a mild strain and significant enough to cause him to miss the Broncos’ opening 17-16 loss at Seattle. The two touchdowns allowed by the Denver D were long passes to tight ends who were wide open. Perhaps, had Jewell been out there …
Jewell is expected to be listed as “questionable” on the Broncos’ final injury report this week. Whether he is activated on the game-day roster this Sunday or the medical team has him wait until the following week against the San Francisco 49ers remains to be seen.
Safeties beware: Brandin Cooks
For the first time since the end of the 2017 season, the Denver defense will play a game without decorated safety Justin Simmons patrolling the back-end. The Texans have one of the league’s best receivers in Brandin Cooks, who has six 1,000-yard seasons with four teams – including the past two years with Houston. Better believe the Broncos’ safety tandem of Kareem Jackson, who played nine seasons in Houston and is the team’s oldest player at 34, and the relatively unproven Caden Sterns, who fills in for Simmons, will be tested.
“Yeah, I’m sure they will,’’ Sterns said. “I’ll invite that. If that’s in their game plan then my job is to make plays that come to me and do my job. I’ve got 10 other guys on the field who are going to have my back, so it’s a collective effort.”
Hamler sits again
After playing 40 of 66 offensive snaps (61%) Monday, No. 3 receiver KJ Hamler has yet to practice this week. It could be rest maintenance from the major knee and hip surgeries he went through last season. He had only one target in the game Monday and made a nice catch down the left sideline, but was out of bounds. He also drew a pass interference penalty that set up first-and-goal.
“It’s not necessarily setback,'' said Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett. "I think it’s just one of those things—we just want to be sure we’re smart with him. It’s a long season, so we don’t want to just keep rushing him in there or anything like that. It’s going to be up and down for him with how dramatic that injury was. We just want to be smart.”
Cam at right tackle
Although Billy Turner has been a full participant in practice this week, Hackett said Cam Fleming would start a second straight game at right tackle. Turner is getting himself back in football shape after a challenging offseason of knee surgery rehab.
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