Broncos LT Bolles at practice days after suffering lower-leg injury

Only a handful of days after being carted off the field during Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos first-round draft pick Garett Bolles returned to practice on Thursday.

Bolles, who head coach Vance Joseph said suffered a lower-leg bruise, left the game midway through the third quarter and appeared to be fighting back tears and grimacing in pain.

However, Fan Football Insider Cecil Lammey reports that Bolles, with a heavily taped left ankle, was not just observing but participating.

“He’s out here practice, showing good footwork, and, honestly, the way he looks, I think the guy could play on Sunday,” Lammey said. “It’s an absolute miracle.”

On Monday, Joseph said the Broncos were “very lucky” that Bolles’ injury wasn’t as serious as originally anticipated. Reports on Sunday night ranged from the left tackle may have torn his Achilles tendon to the team feared he may have broken his ankle.

“He’s week-to-week,” Joseph said. “We dodged a bullet in my opinion.”

Through a little more than a game and a half, Bolles ranked 36th in the NFL among all tackles according to Pro Football Focus, the best among grade among all the tackles in his draft class, including fellow first-rounder Ryan Ramczyk.

Veteran guard Allen Barbre, not backup tackle Donald Stephenson, played in relief for Bolles, a move Joseph said has been the plan all along.

“That’s been the plan for the last two weeks, dressing Barbre and playing him some at left guard with Max (Garcia), and if we had an injury with the tackle position, left or right, he would slide in,” Joseph said. “He’s played most of his career at tackle. So, he was our best option for this game tonight.”

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.