ENGLEWOOD — Broncos cornerback Riley Moss said he’s off his pitch count and ready for full duty.
“We’re good, baby,” he said after practice Thursday about Sunday’s game at Arizona.
Recommended Stories
▶
Moss suffered a fracture in his rib cartilage Oct. 4 at San Francisco and missed one game. He returned Oct. 15 against Seattle and started but was limited to just 20 snaps.
“I was only in for certain personnel and stuff, just to kind of get ramped back up,” Moss said of playing in the 17-14 win on Thursday Night Football. “It was tough because it was a short week and we didn’t really practice. It was good.”
While Moss anticipates playing a full game against the Cardinals, the status of star cornerback Pat Surtain II remains uncertain. Surtain suffered a non-contact ankle injury late in the first half against the 49ers and has missed the past two games.
Surtain returned to practice at Broncos Park on a limited basis Wednesday and again was limited Thursday. But Moss spoke with optimism after Thursday’s workout when asked about the possibility of Surtain playing against the Cardinals.
“Yeah, it’ll be fun to have him back out there and I know that he’s excited,” Moss said. “He hates staying off the field and stuff so it’ll be good to have him back.”
Moss had suffered the same rib injury in an Aug. 21 preseason game against Green Bay but recovered in time for the Sept. 14 opener at Kansas City. Then he was hurt again with 13 seconds left in the first half against the 49ers when he tackled wide receiver Mike Evans.
“I took his cleat kind of under my rib cage and I went one more play and it was hurting,” Moss said. “I was going to try to (tough) it out but I had to get some attention on it.”
Moss sat out the second half of that game and missed the Oct. 11 game at the Los Angeles Chargers. He returned to practice last week on a limited basis but has been a full participant this week.
“The biggest thing is a lot of twisting and a lot of movements like that kind of irritate it, and that’s kind of my job,” Moss said of having some pain when he initially returned from the injury. “It’s tough and the sad thing is when you’re rehabbing you kind of just have to let it heal and then you can get into your ramp-out and get rolling. The good thing is I wasn’t out too long to lose much conditioning.”
The Broncos on Sunday are expected to not have star safety Talonoa Hufanga for a second straight game. He suffered an ankle injury against the Chargers and sat out against Seattle. He has not practiced this week.
Also not practicing this week have been outside linebacker Jonah Elliss (right ankle) and running back Tyler Badie (thumb), who both were hurt against the Seahawks. Elliss, a former Utah star who was seen on crutches and wearing a walking boot at last Saturday’s 27-24 win by the Utes at Colorado, is likely to be placed on injured reserve by Saturday. It remains to be seen if Badie also could be shelved.
Denver on Thursday also listed wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (chest) as limited for the second straight practice.
The Broncos by Saturday need to clear as many as two roster spots. One would be for rookie running back Jonah Coleman, who is expected to be activated from injured reserve after missing the past four games with an ankle injury. And one could be for outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, who was taken off the NFL Commissioner’s Exempt List last Friday.
Denver has a roster exemption on Cooper until Monday. However, the Broncos would need to make a roster move to clear a spot for him if he is activated by Saturday to face the Cardinals.
The Broncos will have up to two elevations Saturday from the practice squad. One is expected to be safety Taylor Rapp, who played most of the snaps against the Seahawks after Hufanga sat out that game.
Webb on Nix: ‘He’s in a good spot’
Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb gave a vote of confidence to struggling quarterback Bo Nix.
Nix is No. 26 in the NFL with a passer rating of 79.4. He’s struggled to create explosive plays and stretch the field vertically. On Thursday, Webb discussed how Nix is dealing with adversity.
“He’s in a good spot,’’ Webb said. “I think yesterday he handled the media really good. He took a little bit of accountability, hyped up his teammates, and I think he’s ready to go on a little run. I think (Jaguars quarterback) Trevor Lawrence did something similar last year. He had a great end (to the season) and it’s kicking into this year. He’s done a great job. Hopefully, Bo can follow that (example).”
Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper in the first half of an NFL preseason football game Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Joseph talks Cooper
After returning to practice Wednesday, Cooper spoke with reporters about facing multiple charges related to domestic violence and said, “I do hold myself accountable.”
On Thursday, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph discussed what Cooper brings to the defense.
“He’s a great pass rusher,” Joseph said. “I think the energy he plays with and the toughness he plays with is obviously second to none. With Nik (Bonitto) opposite of him as more of a speed rusher, he’s more of a power rusher. We’ll see Nik get more opportunities also as the quarterback escapes out of the pocket. … It’s good to have (Cooper) back.”