Nik Bonitto returns to Broncos practice after bone spur injury

When Nik Bonitto came up gimpy in the Broncos’ first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, everyone in Broncos Country held their breath as they weren’t sure exactly what was wrong with their star pass rusher. It turned out that Bonitto had a bone spur in his foot, and had a minor procedure to get it removed before the season.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton didn’t show any signs of concern with the injury that held Bonitto out of practice for Week 2’s action, and Bonitto was back in pads on Tuesday like nothing had ever happened.

“It’s good to have him back out here. I thought we all felt the same way [in the] training room, and Nik having what he had done wasn’t going to keep him back very long, just based on the location [of the spur],” Payton said after Broncos practice on Tuesday.

Payton said last week that he had two spurs removed on his big toe, and that process “hurt like a you know what.” It’s not like Bonitto was dealing with nothing.

Bonitto also spoke to the media on Tuesday and gave a rundown of what he went through and why he decided to go with the procedure.

“It was a thing that showed up in the 49ers practice, and just ever since then, it was kind of bothering me. [I] was trying to fight through it through the game … I don’t think I could really have kept going on it. So, it was just something where we could either keep trying to fight through [it] throughout the season or have the procedure done and not worry about it. So I felt like with the trainers, what they told me and what coach told me, they [said] I should get it done, so I have full trust in them, and that’s where we ended up.”

The 25-year-old said that he’s still trying to get his footing back after the procedure, but didn’t show any signs that the issue was still bothering him too much.

Payton did say that he expects the starters to play a limited amount of snaps in the final preseason game this weekend at New Orleans, but did not mention anything in specific regards to Bonitto. He proved in the 49ers game in Week 1 that last season was not a one-off fluke, and he does not need more preseason reps to further prove his worth. The smarter decision for both him (given that he’s seeking a new contract from the Broncos) and the team would be to keep him out and make sure he’s fully rested and ready for Week 1 against the Titans.

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