Update: Surtain is questionable to return to action in the second half.
Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II left Sunday’s Week 4 game against the San Francisco 49ers with an injury late in the first half. The Broncos, who came into the game close to full strength, went into halftime tied 3-3.
Surtain went down without contact while covering wide receiver Mike Evans on San Francisco’s final possession of the second quarter. He limped off with help from the medical staff and went straight to the locker room.
We don’t know yet what the injury is or whether he can return. Non-contact injuries tend to make everyone nervous, and seeing Surtain need help to leave the field didn’t ease that.
Pat Surtain II injury update
We’ll update this post as soon as the Broncos announce Surtain’s status.
Denver’s defense had been in control before he went down. The Broncos held Brock Purdy to 85 passing yards in the first half and gave up only a 24-yard field goal, then blocked a field goal try on the final play of the half.
It’s the second straight season Surtain has left a game early. The 2024 AP Defensive Player of the Year exited with a shoulder injury against the Dallas Cowboys last October, and it turned out to be a pectoral strain that cost him time.
He hadn’t been at his usual level to start this year, either. Surtain’s 51.2 overall grade ranks 74th among 97 cornerbacks through three games, per Pro Football Focus.
Who steps in for the Broncos?
Jahdae Barron, Denver’s first-round pick in 2025, is next up at Surtain’s spot. Riley Moss starts on the other side, with Ja’Quan McMillian in the slot and Kris Abrams-Draine behind them.
That group gets a real test right away. Evans, who came in listed as questionable, was the receiver Surtain was covering when he got hurt.
The schedule doesn’t help. Denver visits the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET, then hosts the Seattle Seahawks four days later on “Thursday Night Football.”
