On Monday, Sean Payton sat through a reel of the Jaguars’ touchdown plays and worried about the one who’d gotten away.
Receiver Tim Patrick was beloved enough once, in Denver, to earn himself a three-year extension alongside Courtland Sutton in the middle of the 2021 season. But a promising career in burnt orange was sidetracked with a torn ACL in 2022 and a torn Achilles in 2023’s minicamp that Payton said “devastated” the building, and the Broncos cut bait before the start of the 2024 season.
Patrick, though, crossed Payton’s mind enough that the head coach texted him in the middle of the 2024 season, while the receiver was with Detroit.
“He just was a pro,” Payton said Wednesday. “Great to be around.”
On Sunday, now with Jacksonville, the 32-year-old Patrick will return to Denver for the first time since the Broncos released him in August 2024.
“I can’t (expletive) wait,” Patrick told The Denver Post last week, at the end of a conversation about his old buddy Sutton.
Several years removed from two consecutive 50-catch, 700-yard seasons in Denver in 2020 and 2021, Patrick’s role in Jacksonville has fluctuated in 2025: just 13 catches for 172 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games this season.
The veteran has still been a notable piece of a surging Jaguars offense, playing over 40 snaps in three of Jacksonville’s last six games and catching five passes for 78 yards and a score in Week 14.
Patrick said last week that he “won’t know” how he’ll feel about playing back at Mile High.
“I know the city has gave me so much, and shown me so much love,” Patrick said. “It’s all gon’ be from a happy place. But I play football one way. So I’m not trying to disrespect nobody out there. But I’m definitely coming to win.”
Pat Bryant back full-go
Bo Nix will have his full complement of receivers back on Sunday, as rookie Pat Bryant was a full participant in practice after missing last week with a hamstring injury. Payton previously said Bryant would’ve played against the Packers if it were a playoff game.
Bryant’s role in Payton’s offense has exploded over the course of the year, as the third-round rookie has 17 catches for 259 yards and a touchdown in his last six games. Veteran Lil’Jordan Humphrey earned the bulk of Bryant’s workload against Green Bay, as Humphrey played 68% of the Broncos’ offensive snaps.
Linebacker updates
Inside linebacker Justin Strnad didn’t practice Wednesday, a few days after exiting Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. The Broncos, though, have opened the 21-day window for rookie ILB Karene Reid to return from injured reserve. Reid was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.
Denver placed Reid on IR in early November with a hamstring injury, and now may have another depth option at ILB if Strnad can’t go against the Jaguars. Starting ILB Dre Greenlaw saw his snap count tick up to a season-high 77% against the Packers last week, and should only continue to see more time in any extended Strnad absence.
Other status updates
Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey was a full participant Wednesday and “is feeling good,” Payton said, after sustaining a rib injury Sunday.
Denver, meanwhile, is still awaiting the return of guard Ben Powers, who was again limited at practice after being limited in his return off injured reserve all last week.
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