Broncos Get Good News Via Injury Report as Surtain, Singleton Practice

The Denver Broncos have had some tough weeks on the injury front of late, but so far this doesn’t seem to be one of them. As expected, Pat Surtain II returned to practice this week, which means the Broncos secondary will be close to full strength for this week’s road game against the Washington Commanders.

The Broncos also got an unexpected surprise when linebacker Alex Singleton returned to practice as a full participant, with the news reported by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.

Singleton’s return was especially good news as a general health issue that goes well beyond anything that happens on the field. Singleton is coming off surgery for testicular cancer, and he’s been out front in the best possible way when it comes to discussing it, emphasizing the broader health issues about screenings and such.

He’s been listed with the illness designation for the last few weeks, but the idea of him actually returning felt like something that needed to be taken with a grain of salt given the severity of the specific health issue.

The Broncos pass rush has still been thriving with Singleton out, but he plays an important role as a tackling machine, that that role will be especially important given that they’ll likely be facing Marcus Mariota at quarterback.

Mariota’s passing stats are rarely anything to write home about, but keeping him in the pocket is key to containing whatever offense he happens to be running now that he’s basically a career backup.

Surtain’s return was expected, but still very welcome. He was listed as a limited participant, which is a big step forward after being listed with a pectoral injury for the last three weeks. It also indicates that the Broncos are likely babying him after the bye week before they head east to play the Washington Commanders.

The Broncos secondary had some struggles with him out, which wasn’t surprising, but key penalties have been a problem in the secondary, with cornerback Riley Moss being a frequent target.

Surtain’s role is also crucial in unleashing the fierce Denver pass rush. As the lockdown guy in the secondary, he gives the Broncos linebackers the extra split seconds they need to get to the quarterback.

As for the rest of the report, tight end Nate Adkins was the only player to miss practice due to an on-and-off knee injury that’s held him back in recent weeks. The list of full participants who are dealing with issues included receiver Pat Bryant (shoulder) and linebacker Jonathan Cooper (thumb), while linebacker Jonah Ellis (hamstring) joined Surtain as a limited participant.