Denver Broncos secondary is ailing before playing KC Chiefs

The Denver Broncos are going to be limited defensively when they face the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday afternoon. That will be especially true in the team’s secondary, where a number of injuries are taking hold days before the AFC West rivals face each other.

The Broncos and Chiefs were flexed from their originally scheduled time on Sunday afternoon to a Saturday late afternoon time instead, which means that both teams are playing on a bit of a short week. For a team like Denver who is dealing with a number of concerned players, it’s an even tougher road ahead to get the roster ready to play.

Already this week, the Broncos have placed a few players on injured reserve which means they will not be able to play on Sunday. It’s an important list that included quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and offensive lineman Dalton Risner.

The Broncos are quite limited in the secondary as they look to host the Chiefs.

The list also included Kareem Jackson, a starting safety who was one of the week’s first losses in the defensive backfield. Alongside Jackson, it looks as if rookie cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who has been sensational this season, will also be held out of the game with a calf injury. Head coach Vic Fangio called him “highly questionable” to play on Saturday.

In addition, the Broncos also had Nate Hairston out of practice on Wednesday but that was due to an illness and it stands to reason that he could still be ready for Saturday without any concern. But that’s two starters out almost for sure at this point with more updates to come for Denver. Given that Denver has already lost 12 straight games to the Chiefs, a streak that’s encompassing several seasons, it’s hard to imagine that trend stops this Saturday given the Chiefs’ need for a win, their talent level, and the state of things in Denver at present.