Denver Broncos inside linebacker Jonas Griffith, on the mend from an elbow dislocation, appears poised to beat his recovery timetable and play in the regular season opener at Seattle.
"Definitely hoping for Jonas to be [active] Week 1," head coach Nathaniel Hackett said Wednesday. "That's kind of our aiming point. Very much dodged a bullet on that one."
Griffith went down on the second play of Denver's Aug. 13 exhibition lid-lifter against the Cowboys. He was soon after diagnosed with a dislocated elbow, an injury that typically takes 4-6 weeks to heal. Attached to the projection, however, was an optimistic posture — and a telling roster about-face.
"I know the type of man he is. Just looking at him and talking with him after the game, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s there for Week 1," Hackett said on Aug. 15.
Acquired prior to the 2021 campaign, Griffith made 13 appearances for the Broncos last season, notching 22 solo tackles, four tackles-for-loss, and two quarterback hits across 255 snaps, earning solid run-defense marks from Pro Football Focus. The former undrafted free agent was thought to be penciled into a starting spot aside ILB1 Josey Jewell.
“The guy is good," Jewell said of Griffith in May. "He has a lot of talent. The guy can run—smart kid. He’s come a long way, especially from last year. From the beginning of it when he was just playing special teams and then he came into a defensive role playing linebacker, and now communicating with me out there with other guys. It really shows his football I.Q. really increasing."
Griffith's absence has allowed the Broncos to audition a host of unproven or inexperienced off-ball defenders, including Justin Strnad, Barrington Wade, and Kana'i Mauga. Wade, a second-year UDFA, led the club in solo tackles (7) during last Saturday's preseason loss to Buffalo.
"They've all done a good job," Hackett said of the group. "I think they're continually getting better and understanding the system. We've got a couple of veterans there, and then we've got some young guys that have really improved. We want to take advantage of those guys we have right now."
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