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Broncos Lose Another Starting Safety to Injury During Dramatic Chiefs Victory
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- Broncos Lose Another Starting Safety to Injury During Dramatic Chiefs Victory
(IMAGN IMAGES)
The Denver Broncos celebrated a dramatic victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, but the win came with another injury concern in their secondary.
Starting safety Brandon Jones was ruled out with a hamstring injury during Denver's 28-24 comeback victory at Empower Field at Mile High.
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According to the Associated Press , Jones was ruled out at halftime, leaving the Broncos without both of their starting safeties for the remainder of the game.
Jones entered Sunday's contest already dealing with a hamstring issue.
The 28-year-old was added to Thursday's injury report as a limited participant and remained limited Friday before receiving a questionable designation.
He was ultimately cleared to play against Kansas City, but his afternoon ended prematurely.
The development was particularly concerning because fellow starting safety Talanoa Hufanga had already been ruled out with an ankle injury.
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Hufanga missed his third consecutive game, as detailed in a previous breakdown of Denver's injury concerns ahead of the Chiefs matchup .
With both starters unavailable, Denver was forced to rely on its defensive depth against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' passing attack.
The Broncos also lost cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine to an ankle injury during the second quarter, creating additional challenges for their secondary.
Despite those setbacks, Denver's defense delivered when it mattered most.
Kansas City drove inside the Broncos' 5-yard line during the final minute, threatening to reclaim the lead.
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However, Denver stopped Kenneth Walker III on third-and-goal before Malcolm Roach sacked Mahomes on the final play to preserve the victory.
Jones' absence was significant given his importance to the Broncos' defense.
The veteran safety has established himself as a dependable tackler and experienced leader, earning recognition in an earlier assessment of his contributions to Denver's secondary .
Jones is also in the final season of his three-year contract with Denver, making his future one of several issues discussed in a recent look at potential Broncos contract extensions .
The immediate concern, however, is his availability.
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Denver improved to 6-2 with Sunday's victory and moved into first place in the AFC West.
The Broncos visit the Carolina Panthers next Sunday, giving Jones a week to recover before another important matchup.
His status remains uncertain, with the team yet to announce a recovery timetable.
