Broncos training camp notes: Von Miller, Courtland Sutton hope to play in preseason after season-ending injuries in 2020
ENGLEWOOD — A pair of Broncos might make their return to the field Saturday against the Seahawks after both wide receiver Courtland Sutton and outside linebacker Von Miller missed most or all of the 2020 season.
Sutton tore his ACL in the first game of the season last year and Miller injured his ankle in training camp last fall, sidelining him the entire season. It’s yet to be determined if either will play in the Broncos’ second preseason game at Seattle, with coach Vic Fangio not committing to either playing but also saying the defensive starters are expected to play “12-15” snaps and the offensive starters “a little more” due to the quarterback battle.
Whether it’s this week or next, both Sutton and Miller hope to see some action before the season opener at the Giants on Sept. 12.
Said Miller: “I’m ready to play… Seattle has turf, I didn’t want my first game to be on turf. I injured myself on turf. I really want it to be a grass playing field. I know we’ve got to play on turf during the season and our first game is on turf against the Giants, and we’ll have turf games, but I didn’t want my first game after the injury to be on turf — we’ll see.”
Said Sutton: “The trainers have been doing a really good job of working with me and we have a really good dialogue about everything, from practice to literally everything. We’re still talking about it, trying to figure out which one we want to do. I’m definitely going to play in one of them just so we can get those game reps in, get that first tackle in if that happens. If we can make something shake, get in the zone and get out of there, that would be nice. But yeah, just get that last little bit of football that I haven’t been able to get in camp and with practice and everything — getting that last little bit of the football part of it.”
Sutton has had an up and down camp so far — some days looking like the 2019 Pro Bowler and other days looking a step slow or hesitant with his brace. Though, Sutton has insisted his “knee feels good.”
“I think I’m moving — out there sliding around. I think that I’m fairly close,” Sutton said. “I never want to say I’m 100 because I always feel like I can get a little bit more. There’s always a little bit more in there, I just have to go tap into it. I think I’m really close. I think that speed-wise I’m not really worried about my speed on the field. I think that I’m running around the field really well and just continuing to get a little bit faster. I always feel like I can, like I said, get a little bit faster here and there.”
And as for Miller, he’s had an eventful offseason with the birth of his son, Valor, on Monday night, which made him miss three days of practice. Miller is entering his 11th and possibly last season with the Broncos optimistic, believing this could be the group that gets the Broncos back in the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
“We have a really special team,” Miller said. “All the guys that don’t start or don’t play, that’s going to be our special teams guys. We win games off special teams. We have a great team and it’s hard not to get excited about these guys.”
Surtain, Browning may play Saturday
On top of Sutton and Miller, Fangio addressed several other players who may play in Saturday’s preseason game, including rookies cornerback Pat Surtain II and linebacker Baron Browning.
Surtain has been dealing with leg soreness this week, missing most of Tuesday and all of Wednesday’s practice. Fangio said he thinks he will play, but “if there’s anything wrong there, we’ll take the conservative route.”
Browning “could” play Saturday, according to Fangio, after he made his practice debut this week, sitting out the first two weeks of camp with a knee injury.
“He had a good week considering his lack of work,” Fangio said. “The most important thing is he did good physically and didn’t feel any after-effects.”