𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is inactive for his second straight game tonight.

The big question for Denver: How many more games will their top defensive player miss?

Surtain suffered a pectoral injury in the first half of Denver’s Week 8 victory against the Cowboys. The Broncos chose not to place Surtain on injured reserve, a sign they believe he can return to the lineup sooner than the four-game absence a trip to IR would mandate. The Broncos host the Chiefs in Week 11. The game will come exactly three weeks since Surtain’s injury. A return by the star corner in that game would be on the early end of the standard return-to-play timeline, but it’s not out of the question.

If Surtain can’t go against the Chiefs, the bye week that follows could give him the time he needs to get back into the lineup against the Commanders on Nov. 30. For now, the Broncos are leaning on a trio of young defensive backs — Riley Moss, Kris Abrams-Draine and rookie Jahdae Barron — to help fill in the gap.

“That whole group did a good job (on Sunday),” Sean Payton said. “Fortunately … we’ve drafted to a position that is always hard to find. Those have been good decisions and you never know when something like that might happen, but you are able to plug in players that are ready.”