Details emerge on Bryce Callahan’s injury as he goes to IR

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — One practice this week was enough for the Broncos to know that Bryce Callahan would not be a part of their 2019 season.

Broncos coach Vic Fangio announced Friday that Callahan would finally go on injured reserve after missing nine games and all but eight days of practice because of persistent foot problems that stemmed from what Fangio said was a bent screw in his left foot.

“Part of his operation, which is routine, they put a screw in there to promote healing,” Fangio said. “The screw got bent. So it caused him a lot of discomfort and pain.”

Wide receiver Tim Patrick will be activated from injured reserve to take Callahan’s spot on the 53-man roster.

The screw was placed in Callahan’s foot as part of surgery last December to repair the broken foot he suffered while with the Bears. After being limited in seven practices in September, Callahan underwent a non-surgical procedure in an attempt to get him ready for a late-season return.

The hopes for that return evaporated after Tuesday’s practice. Fangio added that he did not know whether an incident in the stadium practice July 27 — when Callahan’s foot was stepped on during the session — led to the bent screw.

Screws are placed in the foot to facilitate stability while the bone heals. But problems can develop in the screw itself. Former Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall learned this first-hand in the wake of a Lisfranc injury suffered late in the 2014 season.

One of the screws placed in Marshall’s foot during a 2015 surgical procedure broke, leading to pain with every step. Marshall chose to play through the discomfort that year. Doctors removed the screws in the following offseason, save for one piece that remained.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Marshall said in May 2016. “It was the other part, the screw head, that really bothered me.”

Marshall was able to tolerate the pain of the broken screw. But not all of these problems with screws are equal in terms of the issues they cause.

“Some guys have been able to play through that based upon the level of discomfort and pain and [Callahan’s] level was too high for him to play through that,” Fangio said.

Callahan is expected back for next season after surgery to remove the bent screw and replace it with a new one.

“This time we need to make sure the screw doesn’t bend. We have to go to a better hardware store,” Fangio quipped.

But that doesn’t change the fact that the Broncos spent $7 million on Callahan in March and emerged with nothing to show for it — at least for 2019.