Dove Valley – Broncos coaches must be concerned about whether Brandon Marshall can stay healthy enough to develop into a top-flight receiver.
Marshall, a second-year pro counted on to be the team’s No. 2 receiver opposite Javon Walker, pulled up with an apparent strain of his left quad this morning. Marshall was hurt early in the practice during a simple pitch-and-catch drill between receivers and quarterbacks. Nobody was near Marshall when he pulled up.
Today’s workout completed a two-day mini-camp.
“I got to the top of my route, tried to break down and felt a little pull,” Marshall said. “I didn’t want to hurt it, so I just pulled up.
“It’s just a little tweak,” he added. “I have to get back in the training room and continue to rehab and get ready for training camp.”
Marshall caught 20 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns last season as a rookie after battling back from a knee injury he suffered in a preseason game against Detroit. A groin strain limited his availability in the quarterback camp and team camp workouts earlier this summer.
Now this.
“It’s not bad, just a muscle thing,” Marshall said of the quad pull. “But I’ve been hurt in the NFL more than I had in my whole football career before that, since I was in Pop Warner.
“It’s definitely frustrating, knowing that this is my first couple of injuries ever.'”
The knee feels good, Marshall said.
“I’ve been treating this for a while now,” he said. “It’s definitely getting better. With some of that scar tissue in there, I need to break it out and be out here running routes and getting it together.”
Staff Writer Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
