These headlines just keep getting lengthier and lengthier, eh …
In the past two days, John Lynch has felt well enough to practice, and Thursday afternoon he was at the point where he could linger on the field with some of his fellow defensive backs, getting extra conditioning work in on the FieldTurf surface adjacent to the west practice field the Broncos utilized for the two-and-a-half hour session.
Does all that mean he’ll be able to play on Sunday, less than two weeks after he suffered a neck stinger against the Green Bay Packers? Not even the 15-year veteran knows for sure.
“As for this week, I don’t know,” Lynch said. “I have to talk to (Head Coach) Mike (Shanahan) and see where we’re at. The plan was to go out and test it a couple of days and see where we’re at. It hasn’t gotten worse. It’s gotten better, in fact.
“Ultimately it comes down to a gut (feeling) of myself and Coach and Greek (Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos) and everyone there.”
While Lynch was in uniform on Thursday, he was limited in his practice-time work, just as he was Wednesda.
“We did not hit him, for obvious reasons,” Shanahan said. “But he is practicing, so that is a positive.”
All Lynch can really do now is work out on the field and wait for time to run its course and for the remaining tingling feeling in his arm to dissipate for good.
“I think there’s still something there, but I’m feeling good and it’s getting better,” Lynch said.
“I’ve played with just about everything there is, from dislocated shoulders to torn ligaments in my knee. You can fight through that. But these things, until they’re ready, it’s just foolish to go out there. I would argue with them (about playing) — before I’d gone through this last time. When the nerve’s hot, it’s just not ready.”
Quarterback Jay Cutler, however, is ready after going through the full practice regimen for a second consecutive day.
“He’ll be ready to go,” Shanahan said. “There should be no setback. He’s still a little bit sore. He had a good practice.”
The same could not be said for running back Travis Henry, who was held out for a second consecutive day while recovering from the slight knee injury he incurred (last) Sunday at Detroit.
“He’s still a little bit too sore,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see how he is (Friday).”
Other bits of injury news …
… John Engleberger saw limited work in practice Thursday; he sat out Wednesday with a shoulder injury … Elvis Dumervil (knee), Glenn Martinez (bruised ribs), Karl Paymah (knee), Cecil Sapp (calf) and D.J. Williams (finger) all took part in the full range of practice work Friday … Chiefs offensive tackle Damion McIntosh did not take part in practice for a second consecutive day; he’s been sick with a tonsil problem this week, but Kansas City head coach Herman Edwards expects him to be able to play Sunday. McIntosh did take part in Kansas City’s walk-through session Thursday … Chiefs tight end Jason Dunn was at Chiefs practice, but Edwards said he did not take part; he has a scratched eye. Earlier this week, Edwards ruled out running back Larry Johnson for the game; offensive tackle Will Svitek has also already been ruled out.
