Broncos get a pair of defensive backs back at practice

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Broncos third-round pick Riley Moss did not go on short-term injured reserve last week. And as it turned out, that choice was with good reason.

Because his rehabilitation from a core-muscle injury was right on schedule.

“It’s the fifth week,” Moss said on Monday. “They (medical personnel) said, ‘Four to six (weeks).’ So, hopefully, we’ll get going here.”

But the return will be deliberate.

“Getting better,” Moss said. “I’m just taking it day by day and doing what they tell me. This is kind of my first day back at practice. So, it was slow and they (the team staff) were just kind of dipping my feet in and getting me rolling.”

And as is often the case, it’s the staff holding back the player. Which is understandable. Look no further than the case of kicker Wil Lutz, who in 2021 had two core-muscle surgeries, which ended up costing him his season in New Orleans.

Better to be safe than sorry.

“I want to be on the field running at 100 percent, but I’m just taking it day by day,” Moss said. “I’m keeping my expectations at ease, coming every day, doing what they’re telling me to do and making the most of it.”

‘AGGRESSIVE’ REHAB FOR RILEY MOSS

Riley Moss suffered the core-muscle injury early in training camp. But he learned the groundwork for the actual tear came before then.

“They (medical personnel) had said it was a little hurt before. But I just thought it was soreness,” Moss said. “I was fine; I was playing with it. It was the fourth practice in that first week of camp, and I don’t know if I was just straining too much or what, but I just felt it kind of tear a little bit.

“And so, I got an MRI here in Denver. They didn’t see anything on there, but they sent it to the specialist in Philly, and he found something.”

And that led to what Moss twice called an “aggressive” rehabilitation protocol.

“The biggest thing that they said is right after you get surgery, you have a day or two of relaxation,” Moss said. “But the biggest thing is making sure that scar tissue doesn’t tighten up, because it’s going to be a lot harder to get back on the field. So, they were very aggressive with it.”

The rehabilitation began full-tilt under a week after the procedure. Halfway through his return to practice, he hit another milestone.

“Two-and-a-half weeks ago, I started running and jogging,” Moss said. “The first thing they had me do was I would just run around the field — run, walk, run, walk. That was kind of my workout.

“They slowly built on doing some change of direction, some core strengthening exercises. In terms of checkpoints, it’s all kind of been fluid. And once I could do this, then they’d say, ‘Well, now you can do [the next thing]. It’s been aggressive.”

HE KEPT LEARNING THE DEFENSE

While Riley Moss recovered, he dove into Vance Joseph’s scheme.

“It’s a blessing in disguise. Obviously, you don’t want to get hurt. But you can kind of sit back and watch the guys and watch it from a different perspective. And you get a lot of knowledge from that,” Moss explained.

“So, I did a good job of doing that, watching film, understanding the defense a little bit more — which is nice.”

It gave him an environment in which he noted that he felt “less pressure” to grasp the concepts. He could focus on learning at a manageable pace.

“When you’re hurt, you’re off the field. You’re able to actually learn the stuff,” Moss said.

Moss said he felt he had a “good grasp” on the defense before the injury.

“But there’s so much more you can take out of it when you’re not in there and you’re able to see, ‘Oh, the safety’s doing this; that’s where the help is actually at,'” Moss explained. “When you’re in there, you know your responsibility. But it’s cool to sit back and see the moving parts really come into play.”

(Photo by Andrew Mason / DenverSports.com)

DAMARRI MATHIS ALSO IS TAKING STEPS FORWARD

Of greater potential relevance for Week 1 is the status of first-team cornerback Damarri Mathis, who took part in Monday’s work.

“I feel good. I feel explosive. My ankle’s good,” Mathis said after Monday’s work. This training room, this training staff, as a whole, they really take of the players and make sure we’re ready to go.”

Mathis missed time after suffering an ankle injury during the first joint practice against the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 23.

“I think I jumped up for the ball and I landed and I tweaked my ankle,” he said.

But by Labor Day, he said he was “moving good,” with his focus turned squarely to Raiders prep.

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