Sean Payton Keeps Hope Alive on Broncos Getting TE Greg Dulcich Back

The Denver Broncos have been without tight end Greg Dulcich for all but a few quarters this season, and his absence has held back the offense. Veteran Adam Trautman, acquired via trade from the New Orleans Saints, is a solid hedge, but there's no upside with him at tight end. 

With three very important games left to be played, the Broncos could really use Dulcich's ability as a receiving threat. Unfortunately, after the team started his clock on returning from injured reserve, allowing him to practice last Wednesday, he suffered a foot injury and did not participate in the last session of the week.

The storyline went from anticipating Dulcich being activated and playing in Week 15 to the Broncos instead signing practice-squad tight end Lucas Krull to the active roster. It would easy to assume that Dulcich would be shut down for what remains of the season, but head coach Sean Payton kept hope alive on him contributing again at some point in these final three weeks. 

When asked on Monday if Dulcich's mysterious new foot injury put the kybosh on him returning from IR, Payton said, "No, no, it didn't," before actually taking the time to do something he's traditionally reticent to do: give some explanation and context to an injury. 

“In fairness to the question—I usually don’t like talking about injuries, but I just want to make sure," Payton said of Dulcich's situation. "This was unrelated to his hamstring. He just had some swelling and soreness in his foot. We took him off weight-bearing for a day or two. I’m anxious to see how he does this week. I expect him to play at some point in these final three weeks, but I don’t want you to think it was something that was going to preclude him from doing that. We’ll see where he’s at this week.”

Payton going out of his way to talk about any player's injury is noteworthy, and the length he went to keep the embers burning on a 2023 Dulcich return is hopeful. But if the best predictor of the future is the past, Broncos fans would be wise not to get their hopes up too much. 

Dulcich has been plagued by injury since arriving in Denver as a 2022 third-round draft pick. The former UCLA walk-on-turned-NFL-player has appeared in 12 games as a pro, including two this year, but hamstring injuries, in particular, have robbed him and the Broncos of the chance to truly make an impact. 

In his 12 career games (seven starts), Dulcich has totaled 36 receptions for 436 yards (12.1 avg) and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Trautman has appeared in 14 games as a Bronco (10 starts), averaging just 8.7 yards per catch and just 12.4 receiving yards per contest.

Trautman has three touchdown catches this year, but those red-zone grabs are the sum total of his impact on the Broncos' passing attack. He's a solid blocker, and that has been a factor this year with how committed Payton has stayed to the run, but there's no 'wow' factor as a receiver. 

With Dulcich, there is. In 12 NFL games (two of which he barely played before getting hurt), he's averaging 28% more yards per reception than Trautman is this season — which illustrates the more explosive dynamic the second-year pro is as a receiver. 

Dulcich isn't the fastest tight end under the sun, but he's fast enough, and what he adds as an athlete and his ball skills quickly outshines the likes of the plodding Trautman, as well as the Broncos' No. 3 tight end Chris Manhertz. Dulcich is a smooth athlete and simply has the 'it' factor when it comes to his route-running, understanding of coverages, where to find the soft spots in a zone, and creating separation. 

Payton put a heavy emphasis on seeing how Dulcich does this week. Having some time where he didn't put any weight on that foot, perhaps he'll be cleared to play, and activated in time to contribute on Christmas Eve in a pivotal matchup vs. the New England Patriots. 

Still, don't get your hopes up.