Emmanuel Sanders, who missed the preseason with a hamstring injury, is open to returning punts to help the Broncos win a championship. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
When Emmanuel Sanders arrived in Denver, he made headlines, proclaiming he landed in “wide receiver heaven.” Lost in the quote was Sanders’ desire to win a championship. He insisted, like most players, he would do anything to make it happen. Monday, he begins following through on his promise as the Broncos listed Sanders as their top punt returner.
Fans reacted over the weekend with concern, with one tweeting he was worried about Sanders getting hurt on special teams.
“That’s not championship mentality,” Sanders responded.
The Broncos considered using Sanders late last season after Isaiah Burse struggled, but settled on Wes Welker. Sanders finished with one return for 11 yards. He has never returned punts regularly. He boasts a career high of nine returns for 93 yards for Pittsburgh in 2012. The Broncos ranked in the bottom third in punt return yardage last season as Burse failed to gain traction.
GM John Elway gets his wish on this move. Elway said Saturday the Broncos didn’t need to add another returner because they already had one on the roster. At that point, Omar Bolden was still listed as the top punt returner. That changed Monday.
Creating more intrigue is the fact that Sanders did not play in the preseason because of a hamstring injury. He insists he will be ready to go. And that applies, now, to all roles.
