The Denver Broncos had a rough afternoon on Sunday. Not only did they suffer a 24-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but they also lost several key players to injury. Perhaps the most important departures involved the team’s starting cornerback duo of Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss, as neither guy was able to finish the game.
Much of the attention in the injury department has been focused on Surtain, given his billing as arguably the top cornerback in the league, but losing Moss was just as important for Denver. Reports seem to indicate that the Broncos dodged a bullet when it comes to Surtain’s injury, and it sounds like the same line of thought holds true for Moss, too.
Riley Moss Believed to Have Avoided Suffering a Broken Rib
A third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Moss has turned himself into Surtain’s partner in crime at cornerback over the past two seasons. After not starting any of the 14 games he played in as a rookie, Moss earned a starting job in 2024, and he hasn’t looked back. When he and Surtain are on, they are one of the top cornerback duos in the entire league.
Opposing quarterbacks don’t really like the idea of throwing at Surtain, which means that Moss is usually quite busy on the other side of the field. He led the league with 19 pass breakups last season, and through four games, he already has racked up 16 tackles, one interception, and five pass breakups.
Moss was ruled out of this game early after suffering a rib injury, so the fact that he was unable to return is immediately not a great sign. However, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Denver believes that Moss has avoided suffering a broken rib, although tests conducted on Monday will determine the full extent of his injury.
“He’s dealing with a rib injury,” Rapoport said on “Good Morning Football.” “Does not seem to be a broken rib. It’s actually, he got hit on one side, but a rib on the other side is injured. He’s gonna have tests today to see the damage there.”
Broncos Get Good News With Latest Riley Moss Injury Update
There’s a decent chance that Moss will still have to miss some time as a result of this injury, but a broken rib would probably have been the worst-case scenario here. Again, the impending tests on Monday will paint a clearer picture of Moss’ status and how much time it will take for him to recover, but the news that has emerged so far is positive.
With Surtain likely out for at least a couple of weeks, and Moss set to potentially be sidelined for a couple of games, too, the Broncos are suddenly shorthanded at cornerback, where Jahdae Barron and Kris Abrams-Draine are the top backup options behind these guys. If Moss winds up being unable to play, look for Denver to add another defensive back or two before its Week 5 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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