Bennie Fowler will miss a few weeks after suffering a small fracture in his elbow during Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Bears, head coach Gary Kubiak announced on Saturday after practice.
“He did it covering a punt. He went to the ground, got blocked and took his hand in the ground and I think it dislocated or something,” Kubiak said.
The exact timetable for his return is unknown other than just “a few weeks.” At this time, Kubiak expects Fowler’s recovery to look similar to that of tackle Ty Sambarilo, who is recovering from an elbow injury as well.
“Plan is kind of a like Ty [Sambrailo] from the standpoint we have to stabilize it here for a few days. He should be able to do all of the running and conditioning and all that, but Bennie is going to miss a little time,” said Kubiak.
Fowler emerged as a key player for the Denver Broncos at the end of last season. During training camp Fowler has been in a tight competition for the third wide receiver spot as well as separating himself as a key member of special teams.
In Thursday night’s game against the Bears, Fowler had an impactful performance — three catches for 18 yards, a blocked punt that turned into a touchdown and contributions on punt coverage.
“[It’s] disappointing, [Fowler] is really playing well but we will get him back it’s just going to take a little time,” said Kubiak.
This offseason the Broncos have been very cautious with the way they have handled injuries, so Fowler could miss the rest of the preseason. Expect Cody Latimer to have a bigger role at wide receiver and on special teams in Fowler’s absence.