ENGLEWOOD, Colo — By all accounts, newcomer safety Brandon Jones and running back Jaleel McLaughlin are the most dedicated workout players on the Broncos’ roster.
Those two are usually the first ones in each morning.
But with hamstrings, sometimes the more you do, the worse they get. Jones, the Broncos’ highest-price offseason free agent addition with a three-year, $20 million contract, battled a hamstring issue at the end OTAs and the team’s minicamp in late May and June.
He returned from a six-week break and despite ample warmup Friday morning and wearing black medical tape on his left hamstring, he tweaked his hamstring early in practice. Head coach Sean Payton said Jones would be sidelined two weeks.
“We’re going to be smart with his recovery,’’ Payton said. “He’s someone who will attack the rehab real quick. But I think two weeks would be realistic.”
Jones limped out to observe practice Saturday morning wearing his orange No. 22 practice jersey and a long black compression sleeve on his left leg. With Jones sidelined, JL Skinner and Devon Key split reps as the safety partner alongside P.J. Locke.
Details of Sutton’s incentive package
It won’t be easy for Broncos’ receiver Courtland Sutton to eventually collect the $1.7 million in incentives he received in his new agreement with the Broncos. Doable, but not easy.
His incentive thresholds:
*$200,000 bump if Broncos make the playoffs AND he has either 1,500 receiving yards or 10 touchdowns during the 2024 season.
*$500,000 if he has 500 yards receiving yards AND the team improves on its 2023 season in points scored or average yards per pass play (provided team is not ranked in the bottom five overall in 2024).
*$500,000 if he has 750 receiving yards and the team improves on its 2023 season in points scored or average yards per pass play (provided team is not ranked in bottom five overall in 2024).
*$500,000 if he has 1,065 receiving yards OR 900 receiving yards and the Broncos finish in the top 10 in average yards per pass play.
These are categorized as “difficult to earn” incentives, which takes into account the Broncos’ limited cap room.
One condition for the incentive package: Sutton had to show up in a timely manner and fully participate in the preseason training camp. He did so.
Sutton otherwise will collect $13 million in salary and up to $500,000 in per game roster bonuses this season.
Chesney on three
Payton brought his team in to introduce his players and coaches to country music star Kenny Chesney, who worked out at the Broncos’ facilities Saturday for the second consecutive day. Chesney was to perform in concert at Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday night.
After the mid-practice team huddle with Chesney, the loud speakers played one of his hit songs, The Boys of Fall. Payton stars in the music video as a high school coach giving a pregame pep talk.
Bronco Bits
Randy Gradishar is on the brink of football immortality. The former Orange Crush inside linebacker will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton, Ohio.
“It’s very exciting for sure,'' he said in a media gathering outside the family tent at Broncos Park while his former team was going through training camp practice. "I’m very nervous and just getting ready from getting there—we’ll be leaving on Wednesday. Once we’re there, they [have] you going 12, 14 hours a day doing all kinds of different things.'' ...
Luke Wattenberg was the Broncos’ first-team center all four practices this week, but Payton indicated one reason is he’s been mixing Alex Forsyth at both guard and center. …
Broncos players are off Sunday and practice in pads starting Monday.
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