Brandon Johnson returns for Broncos; Jerry Jeudy sidelined

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos started the clock on the return of wide receiver Brandon Johnson from injured reserve on Wednesday, giving him his first practice repetitions since he suffered a hamstring injury prior to the Broncos’ Week 8 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Johnson sat out four games, the minimum required for any player placed on injured reserve. He had been seen working out on a side field in recent weeks as he moved toward a potential return.

Despite missing time, Brandon Johnson remains tied for second on the Broncos in touchdowns scored with 3, trailing only fellow wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

As Brandon Johnson returned, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy went to the sideline. The Broncos held Jeudy out due to a groin injury, limiting him to work on a side field reserved for players recovering from injuries.

Jeudy played 61 percent of the snaps in Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns, but he had a season-low 11 yards on 2 receptions.

GREG DULCICH WORKS OUT

Meanwhile, tight end Greg Dulcich worked out on a side practice field as he continued his rehabilitation from the hamstring injury he aggravated during the Oct. 12 loss at Kansas City.

Dulcich spent four weeks on injured reserve early in the season after suffering the hamstring injury during the second quarter of the regular-season opener against Las Vegas. In his return, he lasted 11 snaps, making a single catch for 3 yards before succumbing again.

Broncos coach Sean Payton said Nov. 9 that he expects Dulcich to return at some point before the end of the season.

“There’s a process,” Payton explained at the time. “He’s one of those guys that, man, is working his tail off. He’s seen specialists.”

ALSO OF NOTE:

Safety P.J. Locke practiced Wednesday. He played last Sunday after missing last Wednesday’s practice and seeing limited work in the following two days due to a hamstring injury suffered Nov. 13 at Buffalo.

P.J. Locke, on how he came out of Sunday after dealing with an ankle injury: “… I knew I was going to fight through pain every now and then, but moreso, it was just the mental preparation.” He said he felt pain after the game, “but nothing I can't handle.” pic.twitter.com/hloMydr5bz

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) November 29, 2023

“I knew I was going to fight through pain every now and then, but moreso, it was just the mental preparation,” Locke said of his return to action against the Browns. “That’s the biggest thing of the game. The game is 90-percent mental. And I did that throughout the week, probably limited the reps, but when I got in the game, I was confident.”

Locke added that he felt pain in the wake of Sunday’s game, “but nothing I can’t handle,” he said.

His recovery reached the point where the Broncos did not even list him as limited on Wednesday’s practice report. Two players saw limited work: kicker Wil Lutz (right hip) and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (hamstring).