CHARLES TO TRY TO TAKE CHARGE
Broncos being patient as back recovers from knee injuries
Jamaal Charles will soon get his opportunity to prove to the Broncos he can still be a playmaker in the NFL.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos will soon discover if Jamaal Charles is still Jamaal Charles.
Coach Vance Joseph says he’ll take the bubble wrap off the veteran running back sometime this preseason, but he isn’t sure if that will be against the 49ers, Packers or Cardinals.
Asked Saturday if Charles is running out of time to make the team because he hasn’t been getting as many handoffs as the Broncos’ other running backs at training camp, Joseph shot down that notion with a curt “No, he’s not.”
Joseph has said all along he’ll take it slow with Charles but he did acknowledge that yes, he probably has to see Charles play in the preseason to keep him on the 53-man roster.
“He’ll eventually play,” Joseph said. “It depends on the docs and how he’s feeling.”
Charles chose the Broncos for his comeback following two years of knee troubles that led the Chiefs to release their all-time leading rusher in a cost-cutting move over the winter. He insists on calling his ouster a “firing” and said he looks forward to facing his former team on Oct. 30 in Kansas City and New Year’s Eve in Denver.
When he arrived at training camp for his physical last month, Charles was told he had no medical restrictions, but Joseph said he would be cautious nevertheless and ease Charles into action with an eye toward having him fresh and fit come September.
“He’s been injured for a year and a half, and it’s our job to get Jamaal as healthy as he can be,” Joseph said last month, noting, “If he gets back to being Jamaal, we’ve got something special there.”
COLTS: Indianapolis intends to stick to the longterm plan. Even if it means going into the regular season without Andrew Luck.
While the Colts believe their biggest investment will be completely healthy eventually and that Luck provides their best chance to win now and into the future, they’re not going to rush Luck back.
And they’re not looking for a quick fix after a demoralizing 24-10 preseason loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
“I can’t say unequivocally that he (Luck) will be ready for the Rams game,” team owner Jim Irsay said. “But I can say I feel very confident that he will be ready to start the season.”
Luck is on the Colts physically unable to perform list as he continues to recover from offseason surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder.
The Colts have repeatedly said they’re optimistic Luck could open the regular season Sept. 10 at the Los Angeles Rams. That part hasn’t changed.
But team officials have been mostly restrained about providing specific timetables or updates about exactly what Luck is doing in rehab.
On July 24, new general manager Chris Ballard said Luck started throwing the previous week. Six days later, Luck told reporters only that he had started the throwing process with a tennis ball.
Indy’s abysmal preseason opener showed just how much it needs Luck on the field.
The three other quarterbacks — Scott Tolzien, Phillip Walker and Stephen Morris — were a combined 24 of 45 for 178 yards and were sacked five times. The Colts finished with 230 total yards, 90 of which came on the game’s final series, and just 14 first downs.
JAGUARS: Wide receiver Marqise Lee was carted off the field Sunday with a right leg injury. Lee fell to the ground during 7-on-7 drills and immediately grabbed his leg.
DOLPHINS: Running back Jay Ajayi joined team drills for the first time since he was sidelined by a concussion July 31.
PANTHERS: Quarterback Cam Newton threw passes during the team period for the first time in two weeks as the team wrapped up training camp at Wofford College.