Hairston ready to take over at nickel back
With Bryce Callahan on injured reserve with a knee injury, the Broncos’ next man up at nickel is someone with both experience and an eagerness to re-earn a starting job in the NFL.
Nate Hairston is likely to take over the position in the Broncos’ sub-packages in Dallas on Sunday.
He played the final 15 snaps at nickel when Callahan went down in the fourth quarter last Sunday. A former fifth-round pick by the Colts, Hairston was the Colts’ starting nickel as a rookie in 2017 and had an interception and five passes defensed in 14 games.
But it’s been a rocky road since then, with an injury in 2018, a trade in 2019 and a release by the Jets in 2020 all leading him to Denver last December after he spent much of the fall on the Ravens’ practice squad.
“In this league, I’ve made plays, and I’ve been a player before, but I haven’t really had the opportunity lately,” Hairston said. “When my number got called (against Washington), it felt good to go out there and do what I know I could do this whole time.”
Hairston has contributed on special teams in every game this season, and the 27-year-old’s role in fending off Washington’s rally (he had a pass defensed) didn’t go unnoticed by coach Vic Fangio.
“He was ready to go,” Fangio said. “There is (an opportunity) — you’re in the middle of the fourth quarter of a tight ballgame and you have to go. It was at a point in time where they were throwing it a lot. He came through, and I was pleased with his play.”
In addition to Hairston, Fangio said Kyle Fuller (benched as an outside cornerback following the Week 5 loss in Pittsburgh) and rookie Pat Surtain are other candidates to play nickel while Callahan is out for the next few weeks. Surtain would be used there “in a pinch,” although he saw action at the position earlier in the year.
“We’ll put Fuller in there some too (against the Cowboys),” Fangio said.
Injury updates. As expected, left tackle Garett Bolles (ankle) is out for Sunday. It will be Bolles’ second missed game in his fiveyear Denver career, and in his place backup swing tackle Calvin Anderson will make his third career start and his first this season.
Anderson battled with Bobby Massie for the right tackle job during training camp, but said he feels more comfortable at left tackle, a position he played throughout college.
“It comes a little more natural, and the footwork does too,” Anderson said. “Even though I was getting a lot of reps at right tackle (in camp), I still put an emphasis on left (in my preparation), because I knew the team needed me to play both.”
Caden Sterns (shoulder), Albert Okwuegbunam (knee), Mike Purcell (thumb), Malik Reed (hip) and Graham Glasgow (hip) are all listed as questionable. Reed did not practice Friday after Fangio said he aggravated his hip Thursday.
If Reed can’t go, the Broncos’ starting outside linebackers will be Jonathon Cooper alongside probably either Stephen Weatherly or Aaron Patrick.
Purcell, who missed last week’s game, will be wearing a cast on his right hand if he does play.
Okwuegbunam’s injury is also one to watch come Sunday, as the Broncos will already be without starting tight end Noah Fant, who tested positive for COVID earlier this week and cannot return until he has two negative tests.
Additionally, Fangio said cornerbacks Essang Bassey and Duke Dawson would not be activated Sunday, but that Mike Ford (leg injury) could “possibly” return as a core special teamer.