Yet another Broncos starter is headed to injured reserve

Lloyd Cushenberry was set to miss Sunday’s game in Tennessee. But now he’s guaranteed to miss the three games after that, too.

The Broncos placed Cushenberry on injured reserve Tuesday with the groin injury he suffered in the Oct. 30 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported the news.

The #Broncos are placing starting center Lloyd Cushenberry on IR with groin injury, per source. Earliest he could return would be Week 14 vs. the #Chiefs.

Denver is signing veteran S Anthony Harris to the active roster from the practice squad to fill the open roster spot.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 8, 2022

Graham Glasgow filled in for Cushenberry and will start in his place. He also started four games earlier this season in place of the injured Quinn Meinerz.

Glasgow flourished at center after replacing Cushenberry. In 19 pass-protection snaps, he didn’t allow a single pressure on Russell Wilson, per the data compiled by Pro Football Focus. Glasgow had his highest pass-protection grade of the season.

Having Glasgow in the lineup in Tennessee will give the Broncos their sixth different starting-O-line combination so far this season.

With Cushenberry on injured reserve, the Broncos now have a dozen players on injured reserve. And on the offensive line, the Broncos have already lost 21 man-games to injuries — including the eight Tom Compton missed on the physically-unable-to-perform list.

Left guard Dalton Risner is the only Broncos offensive lineman to start every game so far this season.

With Cushenberry out for at least the next four games and Garett Bolles out for the season, the Broncos are guaranteed to have no fewer than 26 man-games lost by starting offensive linemen this season.

• Bolles will end up missing 12 games due to a fractured ankle.
• Cushenberry will sit out at least four games.
• Right tackle Billy Turner missed five games with a knee issue.
• Meinerz sat out four games.
• And Cam Fleming sat out Week 8 with a quadriceps injury. Fleming did not practice Monday and is considered day-to-day heading into this week.

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