The Broncos depth at wide receiver will be tested in the coming weeks.
Veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds is expected to miss some time after undergoing a minor finger surgery, a source told The Denver Post. Reynolds will miss Sunday’s game against the Chargers, and potentially more.
Head coach Sean Payton did not comment on Reynolds’ procedure.
He appeared to have sustained the injury while falling to the ground following his touchdown catch in the fourth quarter of Week 5’s win over the Raiders.
Reynolds has been absent from practice this week and was not seen on the side field with other injured players. Center Luke Wattenberg (ankle) and offensive tackle Alex Palczewski (ankle) also did not practice for the third straight day, making their availability for Sunday less likely.
Reynolds had previously appeared on the injury report due to wear and tear on his Achilles but managed to play through it.
Reynolds is one of Denver’s top pass catchers during his first season in Denver totaling 12 receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown while averaging 15.3 per catch.
With Reynolds sidelined, the Broncos wide receiver room is made up of Courtland Sutton, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Marvin Mims Jr., and rookies Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele. Franklin had one catch for 20 yards on two targets last week. Meanwhile, Vele hasn’t played since the season-opening loss against Seattle.
The former Utah standout had dealt with a rib injury, which kept him sidelined in Week 2’s matchup against the Steelers, but has been a healthy scratch over the last three games.
“I got to experience playing in a game and then even with me being on scout team and going against our defense has helped me progress as a player,” Vele said. “Hopefully if my number gets called, I can be ready and just contribute where I can.”
This week, the Broncos signed former Saints wideout A.T. Perry, whom Payton called a young player the team wants to develop.
Prepping for a short week: The Broncos only have two days after their divisional game against Los Angeles before they board a plane and head to New Orleans.
In preparation for next week’s Thursday Night Football matchup against the Saints, Payton said the team will practice Tuesday and Wednesday before traveling in the evening. Payton added Tuesday will be a walk-through but will try to have the players move around a bit more on Wednesday leaving Denver.
For Payton, the key to getting ready for a short week is limiting new thoughts.
“It’s important (to focus on) the stuff they know by heart,” Payton said. “You gotta be cautious or limit the amount of new thoughts in a short week. Most importantly, how do we recover physically and mentally? It’s tough to do, but we’ll get to that when it comes.”
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