Broncos injury update: After missing nine games, Randy Gregory ramps up

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As one edge rusher goes to injured reserve, another is poised to come off the list.

Jacob Martin, the Cherokee Trail High School product who joined the Broncos at the trade deadline, underwent knee surgery, which will end his season. Denver will place him on injured reserve.

But his departure from the 53-player roster coincides with the potential return of Randy Gregory, who began practicing Wednesday.

Gregory missed the last nine games after suffering a knee injury in the Week 4 loss at Las Vegas. He underwent a subsequent knee scope and had been seen working out off to the side at times during practice in recent weeks.

“We’re looking forward to him hopefully playing on Sunday,” Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett said. “We want him to be out there on Sunday. It’s hard to replace a guy like that. He’s a presence. How he attacks the edge, sets the edge, rushes the passer — that’s something that we could really use.”

Gregory appeared lithe and mobile during the individual period of practice Wednesday.

Randy Gregory goes through individual work at Broncos practice: pic.twitter.com/gZSgK6GvnC

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) December 14, 2022

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MEANWHILE, HAMSTRING ISSUES STILL PREVALENT

With Russell Wilson seeing individual work, three players did not practice Wednesday, including two with hamstring injuries:

• WR Kendall Hinton (hamstring)
• DE Dre’Mont Jones (hip)
• WR Courtland Sutton (hamstring)

Sutton did not practice last week after injuring his hamstring in the first half of the Dec. 4 loss at Baltimore. Hinton injured his hamstring in last Sunday’s loss to Kansas City.

If Hinton misses the Week 15 game against Arizona, he will become the 12th different Bronco to miss at least one game due to a hamstring injury.

When asked about the frequency of hamstring injuries, Hackett defended the team’s medical staff.

“I think we’ve got a great medical team here,” Hackett said. “They’re going to do everything they can to get them back on the field the right way. For us, every hamstring is different. Every single person reacts different. Everybody comes back different.

“So, we want to be sure we’re communicating with the doctors, with the player and making sure we’re treating all of those guys the way that they need to be treated.”

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RETURNING TO PRACTICE from hamstring injuries were ILB Dakota Allen and TE Andrew Beck. Both were scheduled to practice on a limited basis.

Beck has missed four of the last five games due to hamstring issues that began with a practice injury Nov. 10, three days before Denver’s 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Allen suffered his hamstring injury against the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 27. He did not practice in either of the last two weeks.

Also limited Wednesday were:

• K Brandon McManus (quadriceps)
• LG Dalton Risner (shoulder)
• CB K’Waun Williams (wrist/knee)

Safety Kareem Jackson saw limited work, but it was not injury-related.

“As we know, he’s getting older,” Hackett said.

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