P.J. Locke will play with a cast on his hand

A fractured thumb temporarily sidelined Denver Broncos safety P.J. Locke, but it wasn’t going to keep him down long.

After missing the last two weeks with the injury sustained during a practice on Oct. 23, Locke is expected to return to action on Sunday with a cast on his hand to protect his injured thumb — which will remain there for at least the next few weeks.

“That’ll be for, I think, at least next four or five, eight weeks,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said.

“That has to stay on. I gave him a hard time. I don’t know how good his hands were to begin with,” Payton continued, jokingly. “I think he’s had good ball skills, actually. I don’t think that will prohibit him [from catching the football].”

“By any means necessary,” Locke told Denver-area reporters in the locker room.

Meanwhile, center Luke Wattenberg is listed as questionable after practicing all week following an ankle injury. The Broncos started the clock on activating him from injured reserve this week. He’s missed the last four games since being injured against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Broncos will not activate safety Delarrin Turner-Yell or edge rusher Drew Sanders from the physically-unable-to-perform list for Sunday’s game. Both players were ruled out. Turner-Yell has practiced the last two weeks, seeing a full workload all three days this week.

Sanders returned to practice Wednesday after missing six-and-a-half months due to a torn Achilles tendon; he has another two weeks on his ramp-up window before the Broncos must decide whether to activate him. Sanders saw limited work all three days this week.