What in the world is going on with Bryce Callahan's injury?

 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — In the first week of free agency, John Elway dug deep into the Broncos’ pocketbook in an attempt to make a new version of the ‘No Fly Zone.’

Days after signing safety-corner hybrid Kareem Jackson to a whopping three years, $33 million contract, Denver landed Bryce Callahan to the sweet tune of $7 million per year for three seasons.

Through the first three games of the season, Jackson’s been a shining bright spot, not just in the secondary, but on the entire team, as he’s been Vic’s Swiss Army knife all over the field.

Callahan, on the other hand, has been… MIA in the team’s first three games due to a mysterious lingering foot injury.

And that won’t be changing any time soon.

“He’s going to be out at least four to six more weeks,” Vic Fangio said on Wednesday, relaying the news that Callahan will miss even more time. “He met with the doctors that did the surgery [last year] over the weekend, and he underwent a procedure today.”

The procedure, which was made clear was not an operation, was to “promote the healing,” according to Fangio.

The injury dates back all the way to Week 14 of 2018 when the star slot cornerback broke his foot as a member of the Bears. Callahan underwent surgery, and once he hit free agency, the Broncos believed he was on the right track in his recovery.

That hit a major pothole during the team’s training camp practice they held at the newly renamed Empower Field at Mile High on July 27 when Callahan left practice early.

“He got stepped on early in practice—the same foot that he had injured last year. Everything’s negative—the X-rays. I think he’ll be fine,” Fangio stated without concern, immediately following that training camp practice. “We’ll see.”

Everything clearly wasn’t fine.

Since the 27-year old has practice sparingly on a limited basis and has yet to make his Broncos debut.

So what the heck is going on?

Up to this point, the only information that’s been revealed is that it’s a “foot issue,” as Fangio called it on Sept. 12.

“He’s got a foot issue. The same issue that ended his season last year with the Bears,” Fangio said, leading up to Week 2, when pressed for more information on the mysterious injury. “They just tell me it’s a foot. I know a little bit more than that, but it’s a foot that keeps acting up on him and gets sore.”

On Wednesday, along with the news that Callahan will be sidelined at least another four-to-six weeks, Fangio confirmed it is not a Lisfranc injury.

“I don’t know exactly what he’s dealing with, but I know it’s not Lisfranc,” Fangio stated, again not divulging the actual injury itself. “He’s dealing with complications from the injury he had last year and the surgery he had after the injury.”

Speaking of surgery, Fangio stated on Wednesday another surgery is still an option down the road if nothing gets better.

Speaking of options, it’s still possible Callahan finds his way on the injured reserve. Fangio stated the IR was an option and “still is.”

If all of this uncertainty wasn’t bad enough, the kicker is this mysterious injury “definitely had an impact” on the makeup and design of Fangio’s much-anticipated defense.

“Kareem we had envisioned playing safety, and that’s where he got most of his preparation in the offseason and in training camp. He’s playing nickel now,” Fangio said, explaining how the injury has drastically changed the defense’s plans. “Chris [Harris Jr.] we had envisions of him playing nickel, and he’s playing corner now.”

As Callahan’s injury remains mysterious and unsettled, so does Fangio’s defense.