Pro Bowl wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders will sit out until Week 1 of the regular season with a hamstring injury, Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said.
Leaving slightly open the possibility of Sanders to play sparingly if his health cooperates, Kubiak called it highly unlikely the Broncos would see Sanders in game action until Sept. 13.
“Injuries are always a frustrating thing,” quarterback Peyton Manning said. “They’re a part of football. Emmanuel’s a competitive guy that wants to be out there and wants to have a great year to help our team this year. Obviously when he’s healthy, I know he’ll be out there and I know he’ll be ready to go.”
Sanders hasn’t played this preseason and with Kubiak’s new offense to learn, the Broncos might be in catch-up mode entering the regular season. Demaryius Thomas has only three receptions in two games, with Manning completing 57.1 percent of his 14 passes.
Thomas did not participate in offseason workouts in a contract holdout that ended in mid-July when the two sides reached a new deal.