Surtain Goes to Bat for Broncos' CB Riley Moss Amid Penalty Frenzy

Tongue-in-Cheek

Keep in mind, Surtain's comment was tongue-in-cheek. It's simply making light of the rare white cornerback in the modern NFL, although Cooper DeJean joins Moss (two former Iowa boys) in that department.

Much was made of the "white corner" topic when the Broncos drafted Moss. Broncos head coach Sean Payton was asked to address the issue several times in the spring and summer of 2023, when Moss kept getting compared to former New York Giants cornerback Jason Seahorn.

"Is the topic white corner? Jason, uniquely, was different. Jason played safety in college," Payton said following Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft. "That’s an unusual conversion, regardless of who you are and where you’re from. He moved from safety to corner... It’s too easy to say does [Moss] remind you of Jason. I would say there’s other corners we compare [Moss] to. If there was one player in this draft that—I don’t know how much film we watched, but we picked and tugged and hosed down and looked at every tape. He was in [for a Top-30 visit]. All the numbers, prototype—we loved the make-up. We spent as much time on this player because this was one of these players that we felt like in the very beginning was going to be one of these decisions. Sure enough, he was."

No Rest For the Weary

Now, as for Surtain's defense of his teammate, Moss' ongoing penalty predicament will get tested to the maximum this weekend against the Houston Texans. Moss is now Denver's de facto No. 1 cornerback with Surtain sidelined with a pec injury, and Houston wide receiver Nico Collins is returning to the lineup after a concussion. 

Big-name receivers going against Moss have certainly had plenty of success drawing penalties from several different officiating crews, even when the Broncos' third-year cornerback has been in good position while turning to look for the ball. 

Inexplicable Penalty Issue

Regardless of how people might frame Surtain's light-hearted comments, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is backing up his argument about Moss' unjust level of penalties with a specific example against the Dallas Cowboys just last week. 

"You don't understand, bro. He had a rep against CeeDee (Lamb). They ran a fade [route], he was in perfect position, played the ball, played his hands," Surtain said. "They called a flag on my dog. I'm like, 'I don't know what it is. What they've got against him.'" 

Thankfully, Moss has a healthy case of cornerback amnesia. He never lets the setbacks of playing his perilous position bleed into winning the overall battle. 

The PS2 Onus Falls on Moss

That mental fortitude is bound to be thoroughly tested over the next few weeks as Moss takes over the responsibility Surtain had previously as the No. 1 cornerback in Vance Joseph's defense.

Being one of the few white cornerbacks plying their trade in the NFL will continue to attract a degree of attention around the league, but Surtain is doubling down on just how unwelcome it is for his partner on the boundary. 

"Yeah, they profiling him," Surtain said with a grin. "It's gotta be, bro. I don't know what it is." 

If words could only suit up, the Broncos would still have Surtain in the lineup this weekend to do battle against Collins and C.J. Stroud. The Broncos haven't specified Surtain's timetable to return from injury, but reports circle Week 13 vs. the Washington Commanders as the most likely date.

The Broncos have not placed Surtain on injured reserve, and reports indicate they don't plan to. Moss is expected to step into Surtain's shoes, while Kris Abrams-Draine and Jahdae Barron will combine to fill Moss' spot on the right side of the defense.

Thankfully, cornerback is a position the Broncos have drafted heavily and cultivated well. This defense remains in good shape to overcome the temporary absence of Surtain.

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