Julius Thomas, Wes Welker not at practice
Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker (83) is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers (24) during the fourth quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Chiefs 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Broncos were able to defeat the rival Kansas City Chiefs and spoil their undefeated start to the season, and it was definitely an impressive win for the AFC’s top squad (and unquestionably so, at this point). Star tight end Julius Thomas has been one of the biggest and best surprise stories of the season, and it’s been incredible to watch just how athletic he is. Thomas is easily one of the game’s elite pass-catching TEs, and he is a matchup nightmare. He’s a hyper-athletic player who can line up just about everywhere, and “Orange Julius” makes it rain creamsicles in the end zone (he’s so, so deadly in the red zone).
Thomas suffered a knee injury on Sunday and briefly returned to the game before exiting permanently. He underwent testing on Monday, and interim head coach Jack Del Rio gave absolutely no concrete updates regarding Thomas’s status. According to the USA Today’s Lindsay Jones, Julius Thomas is not at practice for the Broncos today, which puts his status in some doubt for Sunday night’s huge game against the New England Patriots.
Wes Welker is set to play against the team he used to star for, and it’s one of this week’s top storylines for sure. Welker went down with a concussion after taking a hard hit on Sunday (it ruined some impressive agility out there from Welker), and the Broncos reportedly thought it was simply a neck injury (they allowed him to re-enter the game before pulling him from the contest permanently) before realizing that Welker suffered a concussion. He’s not expected to practice until Friday, but he will most likely play against the Patriots for what should be an interesting reunion for him.
The Denver Post’s Mike Klis reports that Welker is not practicing today, but it would have been an absolute shock to see him practicing anyway. Still, expect him to play on Sunday, and I would also tentatively expect Thomas to be out there as well. But at this point, Welker actually seems more likely to play, mostly because we know more about his status than Thomas’s.