The Denver Broncos received some positive news following their bye week. Head coach Vic Fangio announced Monday that cornerback Bryce Callahan would begin practicing with the team this week.
A return to practice is a significant step in the right direction for Callahan, who has yet to play this season due to a foot injury.
“I believe he’s going to try to practice tomorrow, and we’ll see [how it goes],” Fangio said.
Callahan played under coach Fangio last season in Chicago and was a standout in the Bears league-leading defense. A broken foot cut Callahan’s season short last year, and there have been some lingering complications that forced him to undergo a procedure in September. The procedure was expected to sideline Callahan for roughly 4-6 weeks.
Denver inked the Rice alumni to a three-year, $21 million contract during the offseason to fine-tune their defense. Callahan established himself as one of the best slot corners in the game while in Chicago and was expected to elevate the Broncos secondary play this season.
The injury has been challenging to get a grip on, but Callahan is progressing and could possibly see game action later in the season. The news out of Dove Valley is undoubtedly encouraging considering there was speculation that Callahan could miss the season entirely.
Fangio said Denver is merely looking to get a feel of where Callahan is at as he continues to rehab from his foot injury. There is no indication as to when Callahan could make his season debut.
Should Callahan be cleared for game action, he will be a significant addition to the Broncos defense. Denver’s defense has been fantastic this season, allowing an average of 309.7 yards per game, which is the fourth-best mark in the NFL.
The Broncos pass defense has been especially good this year, led by veteran cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and safety Justin Simmons. Callahan is expected to fit in nicely with his fellow defensive backs.
Callahan has logged 123 tackles and four interceptions in four NFL seasons.
Despite the severity of the injury, the Broncos have been reluctant to place Callahan on injured reserve, which indicates Denver is hopeful he can come back and play at some point this season.
