The Denver Broncos received encouraging news about Patrick Surtain II following Sunday’s 24-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Surtain suffered a non-contact ankle injury during the game, immediately raising concern about the severity of the issue. The All-Pro cornerback was forced to leave the contest after the injury.
However, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Surtain is believed to have avoided a long-term injury, with further testing still needed to determine his recovery timeline.
“Broncos star CB Patrick Surtain II is believed to have avoided a long-term injury Sunday,” Pelissero reported. “But his Achilles is intact and all indications are that he avoided any worst-case scenario.”
That update should provide some relief for Denver. An Achilles injury would have represented a significant blow to a Broncos defense that relies heavily on Surtain’s ability to handle opposing receivers.
Surtain’s departure also came during a difficult afternoon for Denver’s secondary. The Broncos eventually allowed San Francisco to pull away after the game was tied 3-3 at halftime.
The Broncos will now await additional testing before determining how much time Surtain could miss. For now, the most important development is that the initial worst-case scenario appears to have been avoided.
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Denver dropped to 2-2 with the loss and will need to adjust if Surtain is unavailable for its next game. The Broncos cannot simply replace an All-Pro cornerback, but the positive medical update gives the team a much better starting point.
Surtain’s status will be worth watching throughout the week. While the injury could still force him to miss time, Denver appears to have avoided the kind of season-altering setback that initially seemed possible.
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