Broncos injury report: Russell Wilson throws, but still listed as limited

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Russell Wilson practiced Thursday, but in the first period of practice open to media observation, he appeared labored as he grapples with a hamstring injury.

Wilson jogged from drill to drill, but not at the same speed at which he usually moves.

During one drill, fellow quarterbacks Josh Johnson and Brett Rypien executed a toss pitch, then rolled out, received a football tossed by a staffer and threw on the run. Wilson simply turned and executed the toss without rolling out and throwing.

Toss pitch drills. Rypien and Wilson. pic.twitter.com/gtM62mgaho

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 20, 2022

His work throwing during Wednesday’s walk-through work was “good, very good,” Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett said. However, Hackett declined to reveal just how much Wilson would work during Thursday’s practice.

“We’re going to work through all that,” Hackett said. “We want to be sure that we’re taking care of Russ, making sure that he’s getting ready for the game.”

The people with whom Hackett will consult regarding whether Wilson plays starts with the quarterback himself.

“First and foremost, it’s Russell,” Hackett said. “I want to be sure that I’m talking with him, communicating with him, making sure that he’s in a good mindset, that he’s in a good place, so that he can go play high-caliber football,” Hackett said.

“And obviously, the medical team is huge. We want to be sure we do right by the doctors. They’re the ones who understand everything that’s going on. And then George Paton. Those are really the people that we’re talking to.”

Hackett said it is an “open dialogue” among the medical staffers, himself, Paton and Wilson.

But at times, it’s the job of any coach or any medical staff to save a player from himself. Hackett said that in his career, he’s had “numerous, numerous times” where a player has wanted to play, but the medical staff advised otherwise.

“I think those are the guys that you want,” Hackett said. “You want the guys that want to be on the field. That are going to do every single thing that they can. They think they can play all the time. Those are the tough discussions you have to have with people, because you don’t want to put anybody out there that isn’t healthy, because player safety is so important.

“But in the end, the doctors, myself, George, we have to make sure we make the right decision for the team.”

What that decision is remains up in the air.

Russell Wilson throwing at Broncos practice: pic.twitter.com/3OZSrfFIYf

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 20, 2022

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PROMISING NEWS came from the fact three players moved up from DNP to limited work Thursday:

• ILB Josey Jewell (knee)
• DL D.J. Jones (ankle)
• RG Quinn Meinerz (foot)

Hackett said that those were the only three players with altered injury statuses, meaning Wilson would still be listed as limited.

The only Bronco on the 53-player roster not practicing Wednesday was CB Essang Bassey. Bassey suffered a hamstring injury Monday and worked on the north rehab field.

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