The Denver Broncos won't have the services of star cornerback Pat Surtain II for the Week 10 game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night.
Surtain suffered a pectoral injury in the Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys and was unable to suit up in Week 9 as a result.
This week, Surtain did not practice at all before he was ruled out on Wednesday, which marks just the fourth game he has missed in his four-plus-year career.
It goes without saying how important Surtain is to the Broncos' defense, as he's one of the best cornerbacks in the entire NFL, so his loss will be felt.
So, when can the Broncos expect Surtain back? Here's what we know.
When is Pat Surtain II coming back?
NFL insider Jordan Schultz initially reported that Surtain would miss four to six weeks with the pec injury, which would put his expected return in Week 13 or 14.
But, due to the fact that Surtain hasn't been placed on injured reserve, we wouldn't expect him to miss more than three games with his injury due to the required four-week stay on IR, so it's possible he only misses one more contest.
However, if he does sit out next week, that means we still won't see him until Week 13 against the Washington Commanders because the Broncos have a bye in Week 12.
Judging from his lack of participation at practice this past week, it doesn't appear that Surtain was ever close, so he's more likely than not to sit out in Week 11.
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