And now, Justin Simmons is battling an injury
Sep 20, 2023, 2:33 PM
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos appear to have avoided a suspension of safety Kareem Jackson for his concussion-causing hit on Washington tight end Logan Thomas. But that doesn’t mean their safety corps is in optimal shape.
That’s because their two-time second-team All-Pro safety, Justin Simmons, did not practice with the team Wednesday afternoon.
Simmons worked out on the north practice field reserved for players recovering from injuries. He went through the paces with a group that included edge rushers Frank Clark and Baron Browning, fellow safety P.J. Locke, tight end Greg Dulcich and nose tackle Mike Purcell.
“He didn’t practice today. He’s working, rehabbing. We’ll list it when we send out the injury report,” head coach Sean Payton said about Simmons when meeting the media.
Purcell and Simmons both played in last Sunday’s loss to Washington. Locke and Dulcich are on injured reserve. Clark suffered a hip injury in practice last week. Browning is on the physically-unable-to-perform list.
Browning and Lock are eligible to return as soon as Week 5. Dulcich cannot return until at least the Week 6 game at Kansas City. Clark’s injury was considered a multi-week one when it happened Sep. 13; that timeline would sideline him this week in Miami.
THE IMPACT OF A JUSTIN SIMMONS INJURY ON THE SAFETY CORPS
If the Broncos have to play without Justin Simmons, their safety depth will be further compromised.
In the wake of Jackson’s ejection, second-year player Delarrin Turner-Yell saw his first regular-season snaps at safety. But he succumbed to an injury on special teams in the fourth quarter Sunday, forcing nickel cornerback Essang Bassey in at safety.
On the positive side, Turner-Yell practiced Wednesday.
The Broncos are already without Locke and Caden Sterns. Locke landed on injured reserve at the start of training camp with a leg injury suffered in training camp that resulted in him being carted off. Sterns tore a patellar tendon on his second defensive snap in Week 1, ending his season.
Rookie JL Skinner is also on the 53-player roster, but he has been inactive the last two games.
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