The Denver Broncos fell 24-14 to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, dropping to 2-2 on the season. It was close for most of the game, with the 49ers holding just a 10-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter. San Francisco pulled away with a Christian McCaffrey touchdown run, and Bo Nix then led a late Denver push with a touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle and a successful two-point try.
But Brock Purdy hit George Kittle on a 56-yard touchdown with just over two minutes left to seal it. The Broncos also saw two of their best players go down with ankle injuries: cornerback Patrick Surtain II and wide receiver Pat Bryant. The news turned out better than feared, though.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, MRIs showed the injuries to both players are expected to be short-term. More news: Packers Defense Dealt Major Blow With Edgerrin Cooper Injury News Surtain is a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who won Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024, when he posted 45 combined tackles (34 solo), 11 pass breakups, and four interceptions. He's one of the best corners in the league, and a lengthy absence would have been a devastating blow for Denver.
Thankfully, the Broncos avoided that scenario, and they won't be without Bryant for long either. Bryant was the Broncos' third-round pick in 2025 out of Illinois and is in the middle of a breakout season. He ranks second on the team with 133 receiving yards and has one touchdown on nine catches, averaging 14.8 yards per catch.
More news: Kyle Juszczyk Injury Scare Could Sideline 49ers Star for Multiple Weeks More news: Steelers Add Super Bowl Champion CB After Joey Porter Jr Trade With the Kansas City Chiefs moving to 4-0 and the Las Vegas Raiders sitting at 3-1, the Broncos need to start stacking wins to stay in the AFC West race. They can't afford to lose key players during what will be a critical stretch over the next month. Denver will take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5 before matchups against the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and Chiefs.
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