ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Before the season began, Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II penned a first-person offering in the Players' Tribune that closed with the phrase "Let me just tell you straight up: You're making a big mistake if you're trying to write off Denver."
Less than a month later, Surtain's season, the Broncos' defensive plan and the team's overall fortunes have taken a hit -- though not as big of a hit as originally feared. Surtain, who left Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers just before halftime, could miss multiple games with a right ankle injury, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. But even though Surtain avoided a season-ending injury, even a missed series would impact the Broncos, who have an AFC West matchup Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers in SoFi Stadium followed by a short turnaround for a Thursday night affair against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Surtain is a two-time first-team All Pro and was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. And his status as the game's best cornerback and one of the linchpins of the Broncos' defensive plan means the proverbial "next man up" will have one of the most difficult assignments in the NFL.