Report: Broncos’ Justin Simmons, others to return to practice

The Broncos have not used one of their injured reserve activations yet; that will likely change soon. The injury-plagued team will have three performers return to practice this week.

Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons, third-round rookie tight end Greg Dulcich, and third-year cornerback Michael Ojemudia will be designated for return ahead of Week 6, Nathaniel Hackett said Tuesday. This will start each player’s 21-day activation clock. For a Broncos team that lost two more starters to season-ending injuries recently (left tackle Garett Bolles and cornerback Ronald Darby), these additions should help their cause.

Simmons went down with a thigh injury during the Broncos’ season opener. Because four weeks have passed, Simmons is eligible to return. Denver having its longest-tenured starter back when first eligible should be a boom for a defense that has continued to operate like one of the league’s best in the seven-year veteran’s absence.

This season marked Simmons’ first extended absence. Denver’s Seattle tilt represented his 66th straight start. The former third-round pick, who signed a $15.25M-per-year extension after receiving his second franchise tag in 2021, is in the first year of his once-safety-record contract. Simmons, 28, has intercepted 14 passes since 2019. His replacement, Caden Sterns, intercepted two against the Colts in Week 5; those picks were not enough to prevent a wildly panned Broncos overtime loss to the Colts.