Here's why Courtland Sutton believes he needs to play Saturday to be ready to go for the Denver Broncos

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Maybe Courtland Sutton doesn’t need the repetitions Saturday to be ready for the regular season.

But on Saturday night, 342 days after Sutton tore his anterior cruciate ligament last September at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, will give him the chance to feel comfortable on the surgically-repaired knee that he painstakingly rehabilitated.

“Saturday, I definitely want to be able to go out and play fast and just not think about anything,” Sutton said. “That was one of my biggest things going into camp. I wanted to be able to go out and build that confidence in myself that my leg is completely fine and that I can go out there and be who I am at a high level.

“I think that’s exactly what I want to be able to do Saturday and moving forward the rest of the season, just that confidence. The ability is still there, I just have to go do it.”

Seeing Sutton in action will help put offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur at ease, too. Shurmur didn’t even get to see his prized Pro Bowl receiver in action for six quarters before Sutton’s 2020 season ended, taking with it a good chunk of the Broncos’ explosive potential.

“I think the game reps are important for him,” Shurmur said. “We’ve talked about this throughout the camp, but we need to see him get out there. I think it’ll be good for him. This is kind of the next phase of his recovery, and he’s done a great job in practice and just go out and play good football.”

Sutton said Aug. 19 that he was at the point where he does not think about the knee brace he must wear, describing it as “very light” and “sleek.” His movement in the brace has become smoother in recent weeks as he resembles his former self.

But there’s also the matter of being tackled for the first time. That’s something he wants to experience Saturday. More than a specific play count, it’s being tackled that represents perhaps the most important piece of being all the way back.

He’s looking forward to being tackled — and how often can you say that?

“For sure. A thousand percent. That comes with football,” Sutton said. “That’s a part of why you fell in love with the game. I hope I can catch every ball and go score a touchdown every single time. That’s the ideal thing, but I know that it comes with the game.”

And when Sutton missed the game, he missed all of it. When asked whether he had butterflies about his return, he said that he didn’t — but that he had “more of an angst.”

He missed all of it. Not just the games, the explosive plays and even the physical contact. He missed the entire experience of being part of a team, saying that not being able to be with his teammates was the hardest part of being out for 14 games in 2020.

“It definitely hurt not being able to see my guys, [not] being able to be at practice with them, [not] being able to watch film and ask them why they did something a certain way, [not] being able to be on the plane rides with them and on the bus rides, the locker room,” he said. “All of those things are things that come with being a part of a team and when you don’t have that for a year, it definitely hurts.

“It definitely brings it into more of a perspective for you [and] how much of a blessing it is to be able to do what we do. I’m just grateful to be able to be back into the position that I can be with the guys and go play football again.”

WHAT ELSE TO EXPECT SATURDAY:

• HOW MUCH WILL THE STARTERS PLAY? The No. 1 offense, led by Teddy Bridgewater, will play “a few series, at least,” Fangio said.
• WHAT’S UP AT RIGHT TACKLE? Bobby Massie is in the lead at the competition and will start Saturday, but Fangio described the duel between Massie and Calvin Anderson as still “extremely close.” Fangio added, “Calvin just needs to keep playing and eliminate a couple of the technique and mental errors that come along the way. Calvin is going to be a good player in this league.”
• WHO ELSE BESIDES SUTTON WILL MAKE THEIR 2021 PRESEASON DEBUTS? Fangio said he thinks Von Miller, Albert Okwuegbunam and Melvin Gordon would also play Saturday.
• HOW MUCH IS IN DOUBT? Fangio said that there are usually “five to eight” roster spots left to be claimed heading into the third preseason game, but he added that he has “not really sat down” to determine how many spots remained open heading into Saturday.
• WHO’S HANDLING RETURNS? Special-teams coordinator Tom McMahon said that wide receivers Trinity Benson and Kendall Hinton will join Diontae Spencer on punt returns Saturday, but that Hinton and Benson “will handle a lot” of the work Saturday. Running back Damarea Crockett and wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland will handle kickoff returns. “See what those guys can do,” McMahon said. “I know what Spence can do.”
• WHO’S NOT PLAYING? Wide receiver KJ Hamler “probably” won’t play, Fangio said. Hamler has been dealing with a non-COVID-19 illness this week, “but he’s a lot better today.” … Tight end Noah Fant will not play; he has been out all week with what Fangio called a “lower-leg injury.” Fangio said he didn’t think Fant would miss any regular-season playing time … Cornerback Michael Ojemudia, running back Mike Boone and safety Trey Marshall will not play because of their week-to-week injuries.