ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Denver Broncos tight end Virgil Green has been ruled out for Sunday’s game in Cincinnati because of a calf injury he suffered in the third quarter of last Sunday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Tackle Donald Stephenson (calf) and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware (fractured forearm) were also ruled out. Green, Stephenson and Ware will not make the trip to Cincinnati as all three will continue to receive treatment through the weekend.
Ware had surgery to repair the fracture in his ulna bone earlier this week and is expected to miss several games.
Green has been the Broncos’ No. 1 tight end, and his latest injury continues a trend of injuries at the position through the offseason and into the preseason. Green had offseason finger surgery and was held out of much of the offseason program.
“We thought about having him come out and do some stuff [Friday],’’ Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said. “And we ended up just leaving him inside ... Jeff Heuerman and John Phillips have to be ready to go.’’
Phillips will start against the Bengals, but Heuerman, a third-round pick in the 2015 draft, will play in his first NFL game. Heuerman tore his ACL in rookie minicamp last year and missed his rookie season because of it. He has had hamstring and ankle injuries that have kept him out of the lineup thus far this season.
Green played 41 snaps in each of the Broncos’ first two games and is tied for third on the team with seven catches.
Kubiak declined to be specific about what the Broncos would do to cover for Stephenson’s absence, but the easiest, and most likely, move would to simply put Ty Sambrailo, who has returned from an elbow injury he suffered early in training camp, at right tackle and leave Michael Schofield at right guard.
The Broncos also could move Schofield to right tackle and then put Darrion Weems at right guard.
“We’re still talking about that,’’ Kubiak said. “ ... We still feel like we’re going to have to play seven guys [in the offensive line during the game], and we’ve been operating that way all week."
One offshoot of Heuerman’s injury as well as Green’s current injury is that rookie fullback Andy Janovich has played plenty in the first two games as the Broncos have used a two-back set 23 and 34 times (penalty snaps included) respectively in the first two games.
“Our tight situation has had a little something to do with what we’ve been doing,’’ Kubiak said. “The key is [Janovich] is very bright and he catches the ball well. ... I think this kid will touch the ball the more we go through the season.’’
