Von Miller will be a game-time decision for the Broncos’ Week 8 matchup on Sunday against Washington at Empower Field.
The Broncos’ outside linebacker went down late in the first half of Denver’s loss to the Browns on Thursday Night Football in Week 7. Miller and defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones collided during a pass rush, then Jones fell on Miller’s left ankle, spraining it. Miller didn’t return.
The eight-time Pro Bowler didn’t practice Tuesday through Friday. With Bradley Chubb (ankle) and Andre Mintze (hamstring) still on injured reserve, Denver is hurting for depth at outside linebacker, so general manager George Paton traded for Vikings edge rusher Stephen Weatherly last weekend. Weatherly will see snaps behind the combo of Malik Reed (two sacks in six starts but nursing a hip injury), Aaron Patrick (missed last two games with ankle injury) and rookie Jonathan Cooper.
Broncos’ coach Vic Fangio said Miller’s ankle healed slower than the linebacker was anticipating.
“I think the first few days afterward, he was having a hard time pushing off of it,” Fangio said Thursday. “I think thatap alleviated some… He went from, ‘I’ll be ready next week,’ to ‘Whoa.’ Now, I think he’s somewhere in between those two right now.”
Miller had a helmet on Friday and worked on the side field, running and cutting to test his ankle. He said Thursday he feels confident in his ability to impact Sunday’s game against Washington despite the lack of practice reps this week.
“I’ve been in the league for 11 years and I’m in all the meetings, watching all the film, and going through this week like I normally do,” Miller said. “If I’m not able to practice this week and I’m feeling really good on game day or even Saturday, I feel like I could still be able to do it.”
If Miller is inactive Sunday, it will be his first missed game of 2021 after he lost all of 2020 to ankle surgery. Prior to that, he started 15 games in 2019 and every game from 2014-18.
In other injury updates, defensive lineman Mike Purcell (thumb) was officially ruled out while receiver Jerry Jeudy, expected back from a high ankle sprain that’s sidelined him since Week 1, didn’t practice Friday because of soreness. Fangio is optimistic Jeudy will play against Washington. Tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, who has been out since Week 4, is set to return from a hamstring injury.
Backup offensive guard Netane Muti remains in COVID protocol. Muti is vaccinated but needs two consecutive days of negative tests before he returns.
Boone’s return. Mike Boone is expected to be active as the Broncos’ third tailback following the release of Damarea Crockett. Boone missed the first five games with a quad injury, played six offensive snaps in Week 6 against Las Vegas and was a healthy scratch at Cleveland.
Boone was injured Aug. 12 during the Broncos-Vikings joint practice. During an interview Friday, he revealed to The Denver Post that he sustained a Grade 3 tear (the most severe) of the quadriceps tendon, but did not require surgery.
“It was pretty bad at first; I figured something was wrong because of how sharp the pain was,” Boone said. “I knew it wasn’t something normal.”
At the time of his injury, Boone was having an impressive training camp after leaving the Vikings to sign with the Broncos as a free agent.
“Injuries happen in the game we play and there isn’t anything you can do about it so itap (about) coming back and following the same steps I took in training camp,” he said.
