Greg Dulcich’s injury-riddled rookie season had nothing on his second year in the NFL.
The Broncos’ talented tight end didn’t play a complete game this season. He injured his right hamstring in Week 1 and re-injured it in his return to action Week 6.
After his first day of practice late in the season, swelling in his foot cropped up and he didn’t see the field again.
“Of course, it had to happen the week I was coming back to practice,” Dulcich said. “Just some weird swelling. I have, unfortunately, some bony feet and my cleat just irritated it in a really, kind of freaky way.
“It was a bummer.”
Dulcich on Monday said he saw multiple specialists but has not had any surgery on his right hamstring, which has now been injured on at least four occasions since he was drafted in 2022.
When he got back on the practice field last month, he looked poised to return for the stretch run.
“The hamstring feels good and it was feeling good. I was stoked to come back to practice,” he said. “I was hitting my high speeds in the week coming back to it.”
Then the foot flared up.
It’s been a long year for the former UCLA tight end. Head coach Sean Payton also mentioned that Dulcich saw several specialists to try to figure out why he re-injured his hamstring so many times and how to approach training and playing in the future.
“I really appreciate coach and the medical staff for letting me do that and facilitating all of that to help get me right,” Dulcich said. “Before I came here I never had any issues, so it’s new to me. And it’s new to them to have a guy with however many hamstrings in such a short time. We’ll get it figured out.”
Sterns making progress. Caden Sterns has played even less than Dulcich the past two years. He missed all but five games in 2022 due to hip surgery, then tore his patella tendon after just two snaps in Week 1 back in September.
The Broncos safety said rehab has gone well and that he’s aiming to be ready for at least some involvement in OTAs later this spring.
“It’s a process,” Sterns said. “Obviously not being able to play this season killed me. Especially missing the year prior, too. It sucked, really. The process — there’s good days and bad days mentally, right? But physically I’ll be good for OTAs.
“Hopefully, next year, I’m praying and I’m going to do everything in my ability to make sure that my body is good.”
Other injury quick-hitters. Second-year safety Delarrin Turner-Yell tore his left ACL and meniscus and sprained his MCL against the Chargers in Week 17. He’s set for surgery in the next couple of weeks and is unlikely to be ready when the 2024 season starts. He’s looking more toward the middle of the year, depending on how rehabilitation goes.
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey fractured two ribs when Javonte Williams got him with an inadvertent helmet Week 17.
Tight end Chris Manhertz contracted hand, foot and mouth disease from his child and had contagious blisters that forced him to quarantine away from the building for all of Week 18.
Jeudy’s not worried. Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy has $12.987 million guaranteed in 2024 salary, but his name will still come up this offseason.
Jeudy could sign an extension that would, in part, bring his 2024 cap number down, or he could be a trade candidate, too. He’s heard his name in those conversations for more than a year now and had a blunt answer when asked Monday how he deals with that reality.
“I don’t give a (crap) about none of that,” he said.
Jeudy finished 54 catches for 758 yards and two touchdowns. His 24-yard catch-and-run touchdown Sunday against the Raiders was particularly satisfying because it was his first score since Week 8 against Kansas City.
“I mean (shoot), yeah, finally getting a touchdown,” Jeudy said. “(Shoot), it felt like six months.”
DiNucci 2024. Broncos practice squad QB Ben DiNucci announced on social media he’d signed a futures contract with the club to return in 2024. He’s one of several practice squad members expected to do so Monday.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.