The Broncos defensive line escaped a major blow Wednesday as a magnetic resonance imaging exam showed no significant damage to the left ankle of defensive end Derek Wolfe after he rolled over it during practice against the San Francisco 49ers.
Wolfe was rushing up the field against a 49ers offensive lineman during a team drill when he fell to the ground and grabbed his left ankle. As he headed toward the locker room, Wolfe was able to put weight on both legs, but appeared to be in serious discomfort.
Broncos coach Gary Kubiak did not offer any timetable for Wolfe to return to the field.
“I hope he’s all right,” safety T.J. Ward said about Wolfe. “But man, that was a tough one.”
Wolfe did not return for practice or the Broncos afternoon walkthrough. His status for Saturday’s preseason game against San Francisco hasn’t been determined, but he is likely to be fine for the start of the regular season.
That’s a good sign for a Broncos defensive line that is trying to recover from the loss of defensive end during Monday’s practice and is expected to miss the season. Jared Crick stepped into Walker’s spot with the first team. When Wolfe left practice, second-round draft pick Adam Gotsis took Wolfe’s first-team repetitions at defensive end.
The Broncos have five other defensive ends on their roster: Crick, Gotsis, veteran Billy Winn, and college free agents Lars Koht and Calvin Heurtelou.
Wolfe, who made 49 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2015, is projected to start at defensive end this season.
