Pat

Surtain

Surtain takes the field on game day for the first time since Week 8. He will likely take on WR Terry McLaurin (quad), who is also making his return from a multi-game absence, when McLaurin lines up on the perimeter. It should be a good matchup. Stay tuned.

That places the veteran lockdown corner in line to return to the game-day roster for the first time since Week 8, potentially marking a substantial boost to one of the top defenses in the league. He’ll prepare to square off against the Jayden Daniel-less Commanders in Week 13.

Surtain suffered a pec strain in Week 8 and has been out ever since. The team declined to place him on injured reserve, meaning they thought he would be out fewer than four weeks. A limited practice is a step in the right direction, but the Broncos could hold him out one more game to make sure he doesn’t re-aggravate the issue. Either way, we expect Denver to handle business versus the Marcus Mariota-led Commanders this week.

Ditto Alex Singleton (illness), who had surgery aimed to remove testicular cancer that feels a little bigger than the (illness) tag implies. These would be two major defensive pieces back for the stretch run. It’s possible each of them return for Week 13 against the Commanders.

Surtain has been out since injuring his pec in Week 8. The Broncos will also be without LB Alex Singleton, who recently underwent a successful procedure to remove a tumor, and LB Jonah Elliss (hamstring). These are tough losses for a defense tasked with containing the Chiefs’ offense, but the unit as a whole remains strong.

Mims (concussion) and Surtain (pectoral) both missed the Broncos’ Week 9 game against the Texans as well. The Broncos’ top-tier defense should be okay in this one, but it is an unfortunate missed opportunity for Mims’ fantasy managers. The speedy wide receiver would have had decent odds of producing an explosive gain or two against the Raiders.

No surprise here as the Broncos are expected to be without Surtain for a few weeks. He suffered a pec strain in Week 8 and has yet to return to practice. His absence will make things a bit easier for Geno Smith and company on Thursday.

Surtain was never really in play this week. He is more so in a race to return in three games or less, since the Broncos have chosen not to put their star cornerback on injured reserve. They face the Raiders and Chiefs before going on bye in Week 12. He likely returns in Week 13, though it is possible he is back in time to face the Chiefs.

Surtain was unable to finish the team’s Week 8 win over the Cowboys, leaving in the first half with what is now known as a pectoral strain. He will miss multiple games with the ailment, likely leaving Kris Abrams-Draine to soak up additional work on the perimeter in the immediate future. Schefter adds that the team is likely to consider injured reserve for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Payton may opt to play this one close to the vest ahead of Week 9’s game against the Texans. Surtain was initially listed as questionable to return after exiting, but never made it back to the field. Surtain’s status will be one to monitor when the team releases its first injury report on Wednesday, but any DNPs late in the week could point to him missing Week 9.