In the 30 days leading up to the start of Denver Broncos Training Camp 2016, we’re examining 30 big questions for the season. We’ll make a case for each answer; you’ll vote and tell Broncos Country what’s going to happen this year.
When the Denver Broncos signed DeMarcus Ware in 2014, they knew they were getting one of the best pass rushers in the history of the National Football League. Ware came to Denver after spending nine seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. During his time in Dallas, Ware played in all but three games, racking up 117 sacks. In Ware’s first season with the Broncos, it seemed as if he didn’t skip a beat. He played in all 16 regular season games and totaled 10 sacks. His second season was a different story.
Ware got off to a hot start in 2015, registering at least one sack in the first four games of the season. After sitting out the Broncos week six matchup against the Cleveland Browns to rest his back, he returned to the lineup and registered a sack in weeks seven and eight. Ware then missed the next four games to deal with the same back injury that bothered him earlier in the season.
Although Ware played in the final four games of the regular season and throughout the Broncos championship run, his back still seems to be causing him problems with training camp quickly approaching. He missed a large portion of the Broncos OTAs in early June, and as a result has hung around the UC Health Training Center with the hopes of getting healthy enough to participate when training camp begins on July 28.
With camp only a few weeks away and with Ware’s back still posing an issue, it’s hard not to wonder how many games the once “Iron Man” of the NFL will play for the defending champions this year.
Here is a few different ways the season could go for the 33-year-old.
Scenario 1: The time that Ware has spent in the training room while his teammates have been on vacation over the last few weeks will pay off. With a healthy back, Ware will be a full participant in training camp and will start the season the same way he did in 2015. He will return to true DeMarcus Ware form and play in all 16 games for the Broncos during their title defense.
Scenario 2: Ware’s back will get significantly better in the weeks leading up to training camp, but he won’t get up to 100 percent. He will begin the season playing almost healthy, but his back will flare up throughout the course of the season, similar to what happened to him in 2015. He will be a major part of the Broncos defense, but will miss somewhere between one and four games throughout the year to rest and for precautionary reasons.
Scenario 3: Ware will try to start the season with his back feeling the way it does now, and will ultimately end up missing various stretches of the season. He will try to play through the pain, but will not give his back enough rest and will pay the price for it. The injury causes him to miss somewhere between five and eight games and the decline of one of the greatest outside linebackers in the NFL will now be in full swing.
Scenario 4: Ware’s back will make no progress in the weeks leading up to training camp and will end up missing the beginning of the season. Already weeks behind everyone else, Ware won’t be able to get back to full speed and will ultimately end up missing half the season or more. While the time off will help Ware fully heal, his age may begin to catch up to him.
What does Broncos Country think? How many games will DeMarcus Ware play in 2016?
30 QUESTIONS: How many games will DeMarcus Ware play this season?
— Mile High Sports (@MileHighSports) July 5, 2016
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