A big win came with a potentially big loss Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High after Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II sustained an ankle injury during an interception return in the fourth quarter.
The injury occurred after Surtain picked off quarterback Anthony Richardson in the final minutes of Denver’s 31-13 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He was hit in the lower body by wide receiver Josh Downs as he tried to run with the ball upfield.
The team captain was ruled questionable but returned on the following defensive possession. Surtain went down again after attempting to tackle running back Trey Sermon. He was helped off the field by trainers and then went into the locker room.
Sean Payton did not comment on the severity of the injury after the game. The Broncos head coach said there were no conversations about keeping Surtain sidelined after the initial injury. He received a green light from the medical staff to go back into the game.
The Broncos did not make Surtain available for comment in the locker room because he didn’t finish the game.
Denver’s cornerback depth has been hit with injuries in recent weeks. Starting cornerback Riley Moss missed his second straight game on Sunday due to an MCL injury, which he suffered during Denver’s win over the Raiders last month.
Moss hasn’t practiced in two straight weeks.
In addition to Surtain’s injury, starting defensive tackle D.J. Jones exited the game in the fourth quarter due to a finger injury. The timing of both injuries isn’t ideal given that Denver will have a short practice week ahead of its Thursday Night Football matchup at the Los Angeles Chargers. Right guard Quinn Meinerz also injured his shoulder late in the third quarter and was listed as questionable before returning to the field.
Running back Jaleel McLaughlin sustained a quad injury in the third quarter after getting hit on a 2-yard reception with six minutes to go in the third quarter. He never returned to the game and was seen riding an exercise bike in the fourth quarter.
Surtain missed the Broncos’ first Thursday night game of the season in New Orleans after getting concussed in a Week 6 loss against the Chargers four days earlier.
Wallace did not play vs. Colts: Broncos cornerback Levi Wallace was inactive after giving up 151 yards and a touchdown in Denver’s previous game against the Browns.
Denver decided to go young at cornerback on Sunday, alternating between rookie cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine and third-year corner Damarri Mathis. Abrams-Draine was on the field during Denver’s nickel packages while Mathis lined up on the outside in Denver’s base defense.
The rest of the Broncos inactives: Offensive tackle Frank Crum, guard Nick Gargiulo, defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike, linebacker Levelle Bailey and quarterback Zach Wilson (emergency third quarterback).
Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders made his season debut after tearing his Achilles in the spring.
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