ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With two weeks before the Denver Broncos play in Super Bowl 50, coach Gary Kubiak said Monday that safeties T.J. Ward (left ankle) and Darian Stewart (right knee) each have a “good chance’’ to play against the Carolina Panthers.
Both Ward and Stewart were evaluated at the team’s facility Monday before the players had a team meeting.
“I think they’re both doing pretty good,’’ Kubiak said. “We’ll have to take it a day at a time. I think they both have a good chance to be there for us in two weeks, but we’ll go a day at a time.’’
Stewart was injured just before halftime Sunday and did not return to the game. Ward, who missed three games earlier this season with a left ankle sprain, reinjured the ankle with just over eight minutes remaining in the 20-18 victory over the New England Patriots.
Ward also did not return to the game.
Safeties Omar Bolden and David Bruton Jr. were already on injured reserve, so when Ward and Stewart left the game it meant Josh Bush and Shiloh Keo -- players who signed in December -- were in the safety spots in the base defense.
When the Broncos needed to defend the Patriots’ offense with more defensive backs on the field, Denver used cornerback Chris Harris Jr. a bit at safety.
Harris, who injured his left shoulder in the regular-season finale against the San Diego Chargers, struggled at times in the Broncos’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC divisional round. But he played 82 snaps in the win over the Patriots, the most of any defensive player for Denver.
“All year long, guys go out, guys come in and get it done,’’ Harris said. “That’s our expectation, everybody knows that. With a couple weeks hopefully we get T.J. and [Stewart] back and ready to go. You want everybody out there in a Super Bowl.’’
