Broncos 'dodge a bullet' regarding injury to promising starter
The Denver Broncos were going to be in some trouble when the notion was starting inside linebacker Jonas Griffith could potentially miss Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. Griffith injured his elbow on the second defensive play of the game against Dallas in preseason Week 1. He was replaced by the second team inside linebacker […]
The Denver Broncos were going to be in some trouble when the notion was starting inside linebacker Jonas Griffith could potentially miss Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Griffith injured his elbow on the second defensive play of the game against Dallas in preseason Week 1. He was replaced by the second team inside linebacker Justin Strnad.
On Wednesday, the Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett told the media some great news.
"Yeah we are definitely hoping for Jonas [Griffith] to be Week 1, that's kind of our aiming point," Hackett told reporters on Wednesday. "Very much dodged a bullet on that one.
"The linebackers, they have all done a good job, I think they are continually getting better and understanding the system, and we have a couple of veterans there, and we have some young guys that have really improved, so we want to take advantage of those guys we have now."
Griffith's recovery timeline is usually 4-6 weeks for a dislocated elbow. If he's ready for Week 1, then that's under four weeks for the recovery. Which yes, means that Hackett is accurate in his statement.
Having Griffith back would be huge for the Broncos in Week 1. Yes, the Seahawks aren't great, but they will need all hands on deck to make sure Russell Wilson gets the revenge win we all want him to have.
Griffith is the starting linebacker for a reason. He knows the defense better than anyone else who plays his position, and he's quite good, too. He may not be a big name, but he does his job well consistently.
Denver is lucky to have dodged this bullet as Hackett said, to say the least. No one really wants to go into a season opener with their backup starting, or a guy who barely knows the defense and is new to the team.
This could also be a big reason why the Broncos ended up cutting Joe Schobert just a few days after signing him. They may have released him because they won't need him, after all.
This doesn't mean Griffith will be ready for Week 1, but it sounds like he should be ready, which is certainly a good sign for the Broncos.
Featured Image Via Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
