The Denver Broncos were thin at edge rusher prior to trading away Bradley Chubb to the Miami Dolphins. Heading into Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, Denver might be even thinner at the position.
Denver Broncos final injury report vs. Tennessee Titans
Having stout edge rushers is critical against the run for any NFL team. For the Denver Broncos, in particular, it’s important to have that element against a Derrick Henry-led rushing attack by the Tennessee Titans.
On Friday, the Broncos wrapped up their final practice in preparation for Sunday’s game against Henry and company.
During Friday’s open portion of practice, edge rushers Baron Browning, Nik Bonitto, and Jonathan Kongbo were not spotted at practice. Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett provided an update at the conclusion of practice.
Hackett announced that Browning, wide receiver KJ Hamler, and tight end Andrew Beck would be out on Sunday. Bonitto will be questionable after missing Friday’s practice due to illness alongside wide receiver Kendall Hinton and cornerback Darius Phillips.
Starting safety Justin Simmons (knee) and offensive tackle Cam Fleming (quad) were limited participants in back-to-back days after not participating initially on Wednesday. Both players are listed as questionable on Sunday.
As it pertains to the Broncos’ edge rusher situation, Browning being out is a huge blow, but if Bonitto were to miss time as well, Denver would be down to Jonathon Cooper, newly acquired Jacob Martin, and practice squad addition Zach McCloud. No update was provided on the status of Kongbo who is also a member of the practice squad.
Facing Derrick Henry and the Titans with only three edge rushers would be a significant issue for the Broncos defensively. If this situation does in fact occur, the Broncos could add an additional defensive lineman on the field and throw another linebacker onto the field.
The Broncos will travel to Nashville on Saturday for Sunday’s matchup against the Titans which kicks off at 11:00 a.m. MT on CBS.
Cody Roark is Mile High Sports lead reporter covering the Denver Broncos — Cody covers every practice, every home and away game plus community events related to the organization. He also co-hosts The Afternoon Drive with Aniello Piro on Mile High Sports Radio and is the host of the Locked On Broncos podcast. You can follow Cody on Twitter and Instagram @CodyRoarkNFL.
