Twelve days after suffering a strained quadriceps muscle against San Diego, cornerback Champ Bailey was back on the practice field at Dove Valley on Friday afternoon, but was limited in his on-field work and is listed as questionable for Sunday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Just a little individual drills, a couple of periods,” Bailey said. “I didn’t want to push it too much, because one thing about muscle strains — you can set yourself back, and I don’t want to do that.”
Bailey said that if the game were today he would “probably make myself go,” but acknowledged that the quad injury may preclude that.
“If I feel like I can go 100 percent I will definitely go out there,” he said. “I’ve got to take care of my body one way or another, but one thing I do want to do is be accountable and I want to be out there if I can. But I’ve got to be honest with myself and my health. I can’t just go out there and risk making it worse than what it is.”
Added Head Coach Mike Shanahan: “He’s a pro and he’s been doing this for a while and will know if he can or can’t play. Champ is pretty direct. He’s a very tough player. Obviously we’d like to help our football team win, but he knows if he’s injured or not. We’ll find that out before the game.”
Wide receiver Javon Walker also underwent his knee surgery Friday morning in Houston.
“It went well,” Shanahan said. “How long is it going to be, I really don’t know. The doctor that operated on him estimated it at six weeks, so we’ll get a better feel probably in the next week or so.”
Defensive tackle Antwon Burton and running back Paul Smith were added to the injury report; both fully participated in Friday’s practice. Burton has a back problem and is listed as probable, while a neck injury has Smith listed as questionable.
Tags: Champ Bailey, Javon Walker, Mike Shanahan
Best wishes to Javon. I dont see him comming back this year if the playoffs are out of reach.
goodness gracious me oh my… is there a reason behind this amount of injuries, or just the roll of the dice? we, of course, want answers, but i am not so sure if this doesn’t just add up to some of the chaos that is inherent with the violence of NFL football.
so here we are again, faced with the choice of faith or hopelessness. so i offer my faith and support to the team… in the midst of all this overwhelming circumstance… one grows strength and resilience. it is in my nature to want to see them pull out of this… more resolute than before.
godspeed broncos!
That is horrible news. I was thinking more like 2 weeks. It must not have been your regular knee scope. Mason…Do you know if Walker had his ACL done via Patella tendon…or did he use a donor? Hopefully the Broncos can keep it together for a few weeks until Javon comes back.
James in San Diego
And Mason…how is your elbow?
I hurt shoulder throwing a water baloon at a dude in a chargers jersey. Im questionable for this Sunday night.
man this hurts, champ is a tough guy he will play if he can go but will this be eough……i wit cha broncos!!!!!!!!!!!!
Javon will be back for the playoffs!!….We will be in the playoffs…just wait..SD has a killer schedule and we will win th Division…Go Broncos!!
Yeah all this is terrible news. Whats the deal with Simeon Rice? Why arent we letting him play. He says is a hundred percent. Its almost like out team is going straight to hell. I am dissapointed first in Shanny’ s play calling and second in his roster changes. WHAT IS GOING ON???!!!
It seems that no other team in the NFL has injury problems like this, espescially to key players. Is it the team trainers or What? It happens every year to us. I dont get it. And at this point in the season and how the Broncos need wins, I think a 80% player like a Bailey or Cutler, well, A key player, is better than a back up at a 100%
Dustin i am with you why are our key players are getting hurt and they cant seem to play in pain, its fustrating to see our stars talking AKA javon than the next time some how he is not out IND with surgey umm okay than…
This season is toast. This #)(%@* % STINKS. I thought this was a superbowl team, now it is team that NEEDS is a medical unit on site.
Go BRONCOS! We are with you here in the NATI
Uh…GO ROCKIES!
Ignore the orange and blue mess off to the side everyone, move along, nothing to see here…
Whitehoss,
If you want to be in Rockies Land go to Rockies lands don’t try to bring it or your negativity here… Oh and Mark Honestly you consider yourself a fan and your already writing off a season before our 6th game?
I was watching Foxsprts and for the first time I heard someone say we will win this weekend!! He will be Correct!
Man O Man, or Go David Beckham? Let Beckham Play! This Broncos season is turing into such a snoozer, seriously.
Can we vote to have Beckham replace Elam?
I think there is a lot of young talent and smashmouth football yet to be seen by our team. We are only going to get better as the year goes on. There are too many rookies, 2 and 3 year players whom I believe will step up as the weeks go on. I think it’s too easy to call it quits. Let’s see if Jordan beck improves the run defense when dj isn’t in. Lets see the pieces fall together and talent unfold. There have been drastic changes through out the year, but it’s only a matter of time before the cohesion is found. I say lets be fans and make denver a place for opposing teams to dread. Support your team because negativity will get us and our team nowhere. Even if they don’t find their groove on sunday the broncos aren’t out of the picture. There is no season more enjoyable than one where your team gets better as time goes on. It lays the path for a revenge tour later in the season. I say next time we meet the chargers we kick them back in the face. In short, support our team when they need it most. Don’t be too quick to pull the trigger. Sure stats are nice to look at, but there is a bigger story here that numbers can not tell.
SCREW U LPP(LET @%#$&!@ PLAY) GO TO HELL!!!!
Seriously Andrew — can we ban LPP up there… he’s just one big nay sayer with honestly no point in being here. No one wants him here & plus he’s still dwelling in the Jake Plummer era which has clearly PASSED… move on man!!!
Anyway, on to someone who actually still plays for the team — this is not good about Bailey & Walker. This team needs a miracle and 2 key players out like this, not exactly helping. I pray so badly for the two of them & everyone else that’s been put off b/c of injuries. God bless this team!
And I’ve just got to say to LPP, go back to the hole that you’re still living in b/c your negativity is not welcome here & clearly you haven’t acknowleged we have a new & different QB, so again MOVE ON MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get over it, the past is the past, you have got to let it all go. Yes, Jake was a huge addition to the team & I appreciate his input over the years but he’s done with this team.
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!
sad
Superbowlboundboronco needs to serously watch his mouth. Concerning our injuries- We sucked with our starters in the line up so losing them is not going to be any worse. Let me remind everyone that we have given up more points and more yards in every game since game 1. For those of you who are in denial that means we are getting worse. Now we have a bye week and what do we do? Give our players extra days off. GENUIS. Lets get through this season and try for Bill Cower. At least he doesnt kee saying “we need to get better”. Let Plummer Play is a moron when it comes to Jake but he is dead on about our coach and what bronco Football has become. We are a team in the bottom 5 of the league. …..Very Disapointed.
Well, thank you Westcoast for saying I’m dead on about something. In any event, once again, I can’t believe people still try and ban me.
You guys are a bunch of whiners that obviously don’t read this blog regularly, or you’d see all the failed attempts at banning LPP! Maybe you’d also see Mason’s direct responses to us and know that he doesn’t plan on banning us.
LET MASON BLOG!
I just call it as it is. Remember I said that that the Colts would put up 40 on us and next I said the Chargers would run for 200 on us. I guess i know what im talking about. Now Im saying we will lose our next 5 games straight. Take that to the bank. Dont even think about accusing me of not being a fan. I am just a big time fan who loves his Broncos yet is not in DENIAL like our coaching staff. Also since when do we start banning people for disagreeing. COMPLETELY STUPID
Lets shoot for 2-14 and get us a #1 pick!!!!! If we are going to suck, then we need to be the BEST at sucking!!!! Why do it half-ass and go 7-9?
By the way, we are saying the existence of Let Plummer Play may hinge on a Broncos win Sunday…
http://www.LetPlummerPlay.com
It’s bad enough that our team HAS been gettin bludgeoned, and now people on this blog are bludgeoning each other. I don’t agree w/ all the decisions of the coaches or front office. Don’t agree w/ all playcalling or personnel changes. And I definitely dont agree w/ everything you all say. But I read because I’m wondering if any of you can come up with what WILL turn this season around.
There is enough un-injured talent on this team to still go to the playoffs. There is just no chemistry and chemistry is created by a coach/es or a leader (Al Wilson)….So who is it going to be? We all have seen teams w/ less talent beat teams w/ more talent (Bill Parcels SB Giants Team). Can someone on the Broncos BE that guy or guys (coach/player). I know w/ our secondary that if we could stop the run that we can compete w/ any team in the NFL, Colts & Patriots included! Let the young guys play & the young gun,,,GUN. OPEN THE PLAYBOOK for the love of….if we’re going to have points scored on us, lets score some ourselves.
Bates, Heimindinger, & Shannahan must be able to see what we all seem to agree on. If not, reality is reality and we might still be able to get the 2nd pick in the draft behind St. Louis in a very rich college draft. I;m not giving up on my team, Just want to see results…not hear “We have things to work on”
Go BRONCOS
heh heh, 2-14 for a 1st round pick?!!! c’mon man. We’re between a rock and a hard place. At 2-14, we’d still only get the #2 or #3 overall pick. I’m guessing St. Louis will win at least 1 game. I’m hoping for Miami to surprise us by beating the Patsy’s (anyone else wondering if they’re really that good with that schedule of theirs?) but as much as I hate the fish, I’d love for them to go winless. Wouldn’t that just fit nicely? So I’m afraid not only will be have a horrible season, but we won’t even get the #1 pick.
I love the Broncos more than just about anyone, but I’m not stupid either. I think its going to be one of those seasons. It happens people. At least we won’t be a bottom dweller like the Colts and Patsy’s were for years and years before they finally developed into their current teams. They built through the draft, and we need to too. Too many free agent busts recently I think, but we’ll get back there. We certainly won’t ever be pre-1977 again, and the Mile High Magic will come back as well. Cutler will develop, and I’m hoping will be another Elway for us. (Who am I kidding, there will never be another GOAT QB like Elway, but Cutler will be great for us). I think some questionable decisions have been made this year and the last few, and I agree the season is done as we do seem to be getting worse, but look at all the young guys we have who need to, and are, developing. You can’t win every superbowl every single year (unless your cheat or pay off the refs, Pats and Stealers), but we’ll be back. You don’t have a good day everyday of the week, so why would our team have a perfect year every year.
I’m pretty disgusted with the season too, but if you step back and just calm down and think for a second, things could be worse. We COULD be St, Louis or Miami.
Go Broncos!!! Lets develop our guys and shoot for a perfect season next year. Anything to shut the damn fish up.
[...] Champ Bailey is listed as questionable, but said if he had to go on Friday he would have. Javon Walker’s knee surgery will leave him out 4-6 weeks. – Mason’s Morsels [...]
hope champ gets better! hope javon can come back and play this year!!!
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The injuries clearly suck, but I have no doubt we are all going to support the team through thick and thin just like we always have. That’s what makes Broncos fans the greatest in sports. If there is a silver lining to be found, we have an insane amount of first, second, and third year talent on this roster. All the younger players are going to get a chance to not just develop, but to play through and overcome adversity. I truly believe we are going to see great things out of some of the “youngsters.”
Oh, and I have to point out… The person who told someone “clearly you haven’t acknowleged we have a new & different QB, so again MOVE ON MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get over it, the past is the past, you have got to let it all go…” goes by the screen name elway07!!!!! I just think that’s funny….
Walker isn’t coming back this year. Bailey isn’t playing this week-it’s a ploy to make Pittsburgh prepare for him. Steelers recievers don’t scare me or Foxworth & Bly. We need speed @ FS & SS. I like Lynch & Ferguson but unfortunately so do our opponents (hope it’s addressed in 08 draft as it shoud have been in 07). OL & DL brings the spirit of Halloween…it’s scary, doesn’t scare Willie, Ben, or Casey Hampton though. Hope the “Bates (lack of) D” has some tricks and not treats…& hope Hiemindinger treats us (highly unlikey-more likey Henry, Henry, incomplete, punt) to the Cutler-Sheffler, Marshall, Stokley, Martinez, YOUNG Show with more than 7 run & 3 pass plays! ST’s-All we can do is pray apparently that Selvin, Andre, & Glen can break 11 tackles, thanks O’Brien- hope you don’t get another good player cut (Hixon-boy did he get picked up quick. interesting).
Broncos- SHOW ME different! PLEASE! Beat Pittsburgh or start looking @ the Auburn D.
I just want to say I LOVE TO EAT BOOTYHOLES!!!
CON SHANAHAN YA NO HAY NADA NUEVO QUE VER, SU SISTEMA ESTA EN LA PREHISTORIA, TANTO OFENSIVO COMO DEFENSIVO, NO CREO QUE LE GANEN A LOS STEELERS, NOS VAN A CORRER PARA 175 YDS.,, NO HAY UN BUEN FUTURO CON SHANAHAN, YA ES TIEMPO DE CAMBIOS
LA ERA DE SHANAHAN SE ACABO. BUSQUEN OTRO HEAD COACH. LO UNICO QUE VAMOS A VER ES FRUSTACION Y SEQUIA EN LOS PROXIMOS 4 AÑOS. ESPEREMOS QUE ESTUPIDESES NOS DICE MIKE EL DOMINGO POR LA NOCHE
Mr. Andrew Mason?
As you’re a Bronco Insider, can you share with us the real reasons behind the deactivation of Simeon Rice?
This situation has gone from great to the sublime. He admits he’s hurt after the Indy game, proclaims his shoulder really hadnt fully healed (as we were led to believe prior to him signing in Denver). Now he claims that after the San Diego (Hiroshima bombing) we absorbed, he’s gone from 80 to 100%. If that’s the case, why in the world would Bates/Shanny not put in the potential HOF’er and let him play and teach on the job. What’s up dude.
Im sure we would all love to see a ray of hope given the injury/play devastation we’ve endured these past 6 weeks..
Hogblog
OK Vegas Bronco, I am a fan good or bad, but let us not give anything about the Broncos have a “Silver” lining!! LOL Orange or blue lining would be so much better. LOL GO BRONCOS!!
Hahahahahhaha….point taken broncobabe…I can’t believe I didn’t catch that before I posted it…I feel so dirty now….
I’m sorry but if they lose their next 2 games I’m going to be rooting for a top 5 pick in the draft. I’m satisfied in the fact we may be in a rebuilding season if we lose the next 2. But I’ll be rooting for them to win these next two for sure because I’d love to have this team pull together and play well, I just don’t see it happening.
Mason,
What in your opinion are the fundamental breakdowns this year and what are you predicting the changes need to be this season and post-season. I’ve read the “we need to stop making the little mistakes” over-and-over. The game is changing every season, and while I’m not questioning Shanahan ability or coaching prowess, I can’t just point at injuries and say ‘this is why’. It would seem that we are in a great time of change and reconstruction and while I can appreciate that, even so much so as to look at a season such as this and write it off I have to ask:
• What happened to the “Shanahan can take any back and make a superstar” running game? (I know he’s excited to finally have a QB that can throw but we lost something)
• What is with Shanahan creating the ‘Land of Misfit Toys’? Every aging, felon, post-injury, hard-case seems to have a shot with us. I get it, they’re cheap and we can ‘test’ them for a year, but this is tough to create any legitimate structure.
• Defensive coaching decisions. I KNOW, we’ve never gone big, so we go big. We hired within, didn’t work – unless you like the blitz. Now we hire a supposed defensive rock-star (since Rhodes, now Bates) and, so it would appear, no dice here either. What REALLY needs to be done here?
• I’ve read a lot of DB blogs and there seems to be a great deal of people that think that Shanahan with his EVP responsibilities just is not focused on creating a previously winning playbook. What are your [real] thoughts? Should he pull back to just coaching in the best interest of the team?
Look I’m just as GO TEAM as the rest of the fans that post to you.Nevertheless there are a lot more issues here than injuries and simple passion for your team.
Bleeding Orange and Blue from the state of Fish, Cats and Buccaneers I look forward to your thoughts.
YA ERA HORA , SE VIERON BIEN, GANEN A LOS PACKERS, CAMBIEN EL PLAN DEFENSIVO DE BATES , CAMBIEN A SAM ADAMS, NO SIRVE LA FORMA ANTIGUA, PUEDEN GANAR LA DIVISION , LOS CHIEFS NO TIENEN NADA, LOS RAIDERS ESTAN PERDIDOS , LOS CARGADORES SE VAN A DERRUMBAR POR AHI DE LA SEMANA 10 , TURNER ES UN PERDEDOR, HAGAN LOS AJUSTES
DEFENSIVOS PERTINENTES Y GANEN ESA DIVISION POR EL AMOR DE DIOS, TIENE EL POTENCIAL