Tight end Greg Dulcich remains sidelined at Broncos practice
Dec 20, 2023, 2:27 PM
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Greg Dulcich was not on the Centura Health Training Center practice field with the Broncos as they began preparations for Sunday night’s game against the New England Patriots.
Dulcich, who officially remains on injured reserve, suffered a foot injury in his return to practice last Wednesday.
“This was unrelated to his hamstring,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said during his media conference call Monday. “He just had some swelling and soreness in his foot. We took him off weight-bearing for a day or two.
“I’m anxious to see how he does this week.”
By practicing on Dec. 13, the Broncos opened Dulcich’s 21-day window for a return to the 53-player roster. Denver is just one-third of the way through that window, giving Dulcich a chance to overcome the foot injury.
To that end, Payton expressed optimism Monday that Dulcich would play before the season concludes.
“I expect him to play at some point in these final three weeks, but I don’t want you to think it was something that was going to preclude him from doing that,” Payton said then. “We’ll see where he’s at this week.”
So far, where Greg Dulcich is this week is where he has been since he re-injured his hamstring at Kansas City on Oct. 12.
Edge rusher Nik Bonitto also did not practice. The Broncos’ leader in sacks this season worked out off to the side as he recovers from a knee injury suffered in the Dec. 10 win at Los Angeles.
The Broncos opted to not place Bonitto on injured reserve — a sign that the second-year player’s injury is not serious, as an injured-reserve stint forces an absence of at least four weeks.
