Broncos Get Encouraging Riley Moss Injury Update

The Denver Broncos received more encouraging injury news after losing both starting cornerbacks against the San Francisco 49ers.

Riley Moss did not suffer a fractured rib after leaving Sunday's 24-14 loss, according to RotoWire, citing NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

There is more good news for Moss.

His rib injury isn't considered long-term, according to 9NEWS, although his timetable for returning remains undetermined.

Moss injured his ribs during the second quarter against San Francisco and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

His departure became particularly significant because Denver also lost Pat Surtain II to a non-contact ankle injury in the first half.

The Broncos have since received encouraging news about Surtain, but the two-time All-Pro is still expected to miss at least two weeks.

That makes Moss' availability even more important as Denver prepares to face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

The Broncos turned to Jahdae Barron and Kris Abrams-Draine on the outside after losing their two starters against San Francisco. Ja'Quan McMillian remained in his usual role in the slot.

Broncos coach Sean Payton came away encouraged by what he saw from the backups.

“Relative to their play (Sunday), I thought they came in and did a real good job,” Payton said Monday, according to the Denver Gazette. “It was good to see. I think it’s a position we have depth at. Those guys both kind of got thrown in the fire and I thought handled it well.”

Barron had already begun receiving more playing time before the injuries. The former first-round pick played 24 defensive snaps against the Los Angeles Rams after playing only six defensive snaps over Denver's first two games.

He and Abrams-Draine could now have much larger roles.

Denver has only three healthy cornerbacks on its active roster if Surtain and Moss are unavailable: Barron, Abrams-Draine and McMillian. The Broncos also have Brent Austin and Sean Fresch available on the practice squad.

Payton declined Monday to speculate about whether Denver might add another cornerback.

The Broncos' first official injury report of the week will come Wednesday, providing a clearer indication of Moss' chances of facing the Chargers.

Moss has started all four games this season and has 16 tackles, an interception and five passes defensed. He led the NFL with 19 passes defensed last season while starting all 17 games.

With Surtain expected to miss time, Denver could badly use Moss opposite him. For now, avoiding a fracture and a long-term injury represents good news for a secondary suddenly dealing with significant uncertainty.