Broncos outside linebacker Bradley Chubb went through a second consecutive full practice Saturday and will play Monday night against Tennessee, his first game since tearing his left ACL last September.
Chubb was shut down Aug. 29 to rest his knee and was limited in practice Tuesday and Wednesday.
“It was pretty much a little tendinitis,” he said. “I took a little rest and had some downtime and a lot of recovery in the training room. I tried not to do too much on it — let it calm down and I feel like it’s back to normal.”
Chubb said he and coach Vic Fangio haven’t spent much time discussing a limit on his playing time against the Titans.
“We didn’t talk too much about specific numbers,” Chubb said. “It’s going to be how I feel out there and playing in an actual game, it’s going to be a little slow at first. I feel body-wise, it’s probably the best I’ve felt during this recovery progress.”
Said Fangio: “He hit a pothole or two, which is to be expected, but he’s in a good spot now. I think once he starts playing, he won’t be as good as he will be two, three, four weeks from now.”
Chubb’s availability is even more important after outside linebacker Von Miller injured his ankle in Tuesday’s practice and underwent surgery Friday.
“I have to pick up the slack of him not being here and we all have to step up and fill that void for this team,” Chubb said.
Sutton questionable. The Broncos ruled out Miller (who remains on the 53-man roster) and inside linebacker Mark Barron (hamstring). Receivers Courtland Sutton (shoulder) and KJ Hamler (hamstring) are questionable.
Sutton was injured early in Thursday’s practice and sat out Friday and Saturday.
“He’s questionable in the truest sense — 50–50,” Fangio said. “He’s made great strides.”
What does Sutton need to show to be active?
“He’s got to pass the most primitive test there is and that’s what I told him and the trainers: He’s got to be able to do 10 jumping jacks,” Fangio said. “If he can do 10 jumping jacks, he can play.”
Fangio said Hamler “probably won’t be (active), but there’s an outside chance.”
OLB search. The Broncos’ search for pass-rushing depth after Miller’s injury Tuesday included a call to 38-year-old free agent Cameron Wake.
A league source said the Broncos had an “exploratory” chat with Wake’s camp, but a contract offer was not extended. Wake has 100 1/2 sacks in 155 games.
A notable component about signing veterans: Any veteran with at least four years of experience is guaranteed his full salary if on a Week 1 roster. Veterans signed next week are paid on a game-to-game basis.
Titans’ surprises. Fangio was asked how Tennessee might try and catch the Broncos’ defense off-balance early in the game.
“Always in the first game, you have to be ready for some un-scouted looks and un-scouted plays on both sides of the ball,” he said. “Coaches have had the offseason to study and put in new things. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them go no huddle on us early in the game to get us off balance. We worked against that (in practice) and hopefully we’ll be ready.”
Briefly. Fangio on kicker Brandon McManus’ four-year contract extension, which was agreed to on Friday: “He’s deserving of it. When you have a good kicker that you like and he’s happy here, it makes sense to get a deal done.” … Fangio said it is a “possibility,” the Broncos call up rookie Derrek Tuszka from the practice squad to be the fourth outside linebacker. … Inside linebacker Alexander Johnson will have the radio communication in his helmet to relay the play calls to the other players, Fangio said, “because he plays in more packages than Josey (Jewell). Josey will be able to help with the operation. I think they work well together.”