Surtain, Powers and Adkins are also out. Broncos had been in relative good health the first 2 1/2 seasons of the Payton/Lowery regime but misfortune has struck.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For the first time in the Sean Payton/Beau Lowery era, the Broncos are going through some serious injury adversity.

The Broncos will be down three starters – cornerback Pat Surtain II, receiver/returner Marvin Mims Jr. and left guard Ben Powers – plus reserve tight end Nate Adkins for their game Sunday at Houston where they will play the No. 1 defensive-ranked Texans.

Mims, who plays receiver and halfback on offense and returns punts and kickoffs, did not participate in practice again Friday because of a concussion suffered when he mistakenly was left to return a kickoff Sunday even though the game against the Dallas Cowboys was late and the Broncos had an insurmountable lead.

Payton said Monday it was a miscommunication fail — special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi sent in Tyler Badie to replace Mims but Badie replaced RJ Harvey instead — but Friday offered a twist to explanation.

“We were at that stage of the game where we were making changes,” Payton said. “Everyone doesn’t get to come out because you have (46) players. And so we’re subbing but there was a switch there.”

Given the number of special teams issues this year — a game-costing leverage penalty, 71 and 73-yard kickoff returns — does Payton become more involved with that unit?

“We’re good,” Payton said. “Darren’s been outstanding. Next question. Next good question.”

Mims took a blow to the head by Dallas’ C.J. Goodwin and was groggy and he got up unsteadily. The timeline associated with the league’s concussion protocols leaves Mims no chance of getting cleared by game time Sunday.

Surtain suffered a strained pec in the same game and is expected to miss two or three games. Powers will miss his fourth game because of torn left biceps that was surgically repaired Oct. 6. Adkins suffered a strained PCL against Dallas and is also expected to miss at least three games.


Since Payton took over as Broncos coach in 2023 and Lowery became head of the team’s sports performance program, the Broncos ranked 10th in cash payroll on the injured reserve list in 2023, according to Spotrac, and 9th in 2024 but they are 20th nearly halfway through this season.

On the positive side, inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who missed the first six games with a quad injury and a seventh because of an unsportsmanlike suspension, is back in the lineup this week.


Stroud then vs. Stroud now

To date, the best season for Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud was his rookie year of 2023 when he threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns against just 5 interceptions. He played very well in a 22-17 home win against the Payton-Russell Wilson Broncos that year, completing 16 of 27 for 274 yards and a touchdown. 

He got off to a slow start this year as did the Texans, but he and his team have played much better as of late, winning three of four.

“Different team. They’ve changed offensively,” Payton said of Stroud now vs. two years ago. “But we’re seeing one of these young (quarterbacks). There’s a group of these, this position group is healthy in the future. There were years where you’d say Ah there’s not good … it’s alive and well. He’s one of them.” 



Paxton returns

Former first-round pick Paxton Lynch is still slinging it, even if he last threw an NFL pass during the Broncos’ 2017 finale, otherwise remembered as the NFL debut of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes II.

Lynch has signed with the Colorado Spartans indoor league team that will play its games at the Denver Coliseum starting in March. 

The Spartans played the previous two years in Loveland, going 7-3 earlier this year to reach the playoffs.

Lynch, 31, was the Broncos’ first-round pick, No. 26 overall, in 2016 but his career never quite materialized. He did play well in his head-to-head matchup with Mahomes, throwing for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns, but Mahomes and the Chiefs won, 27-24 to start arguably the winningest era in NFL history.

But Lynch was cut by the Broncos prior to the 2018 season, He later spent time with the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers before catching on briefly in the Canadian Football League with Saskatchewan. He then spent time in the USFL with Michigan and XFL with Orlando and San Antonio.