Report: Mike Purcell suffered 'significant finger injury'

Denver Broncos nose tackle Mike Purcell Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Broncos DT Mike Purcell suffered 'significant finger injury' in loss to Browns

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 10/22/21

The Denver Broncos dropped their fourth straight game and fell to 3-4 on the season via the "Thursday Night Football" 17-14 loss at the Cleveland Browns.

It's now known Denver suffered injury to that insult.

According to Mike Klis of Denver's 9News, veteran Broncos nose tackle Mike Purcell suffered "a significant finger injury" Thursday night and may need a surgical procedure to repair it. Purcell's status moving forward is understandably up in the air:

DT Mike Purcell suffered a significant finger injury last night per source. Waiting on MRI results to determine whether he would need surgery. Could be another blow to Denver run D that has already been decimated at all LB positions. #9sports
— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) October 22, 2021

This could be especially harsh for Purcell, who had his 2020 season end prematurely in October after he required surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury. Thus far, the 30-year-old has accumulated 19 total tackles across seven games during the current campaign.

As for the Broncos, they were slashed apart Thursday night by a Cleveland rushing attack that was without first-choice running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, not to mention starting quarterback Baker Mayfield, because of injuries. Unproven commodity D'Ernest Johnson rushed for an incredible 146 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in helping the Browns improve to 4-3.

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