Broncos’ Sean Payton mum on plan to replace LG Ben Powers

ENFIELD, U.K. — As the Broncos prepare for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, they’re also adjusting to life without left guard Ben Powers.

Denver will have a new player in place of the veteran offensive lineman, who is headed to injured reserve after a Monday surgery to repair a biceps tear.

“With a starting player, it’s never any good,” head coach Sean Payton said. “And yet the next guy is up and ready to play.”

During training camp, Matt Peart served as the primary backup at both left guard and left tackle, making him a logical candidate to replace Powers. After practice on Wednesday, Payton would not say what the team’s plan is.

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“We’ll see,” Payton said.

Peart has played mostly tackle in his career over 43 appearances with the New York Giants and 22 with the Broncos. He played in every game for Denver last year, a bit while Mike McGlinchey was on injured reserve but also regularly as the team’s jumbo tight end.

That kind of versatility is why the Broncos gave him a two-year deal worth $7 million this spring in free agency.

Roach returns. The Broncos are close to getting a key piece of their defense back on the field for the first time this season.

Defensive tackle Malcolm Roach returned to practice Wednesday, meaning his 21-day window to be activated from IR has opened.

“He got really good work today,” Payton said.

Roach strained his calf during the practice week in the lead-up to the season-opener against Tennessee and has yet to play this season.

The sixth-year man isn’t a starter but he’s served as a critical member of the Broncos’ defensive line rotation the past two seasons. For example, in 2024 Roach logged more overall playing time than John Franklin-Myers and ended up playing 42% of Denver’s defensive defensive snaps.

Roach before his injury styled himself as the “sixth man of the year,” a basketball reference to key players who come off the bench.

Nose tackle D.J. Jones last week before the Broncos beat Philadelphia made clear his excitement to get Roach back.

“I miss him a lot and I cannot wait for him to come back," Jones said last week, "We talk to him every day. I let him know every day that he’s missed. And it’s not even just the field factor. He’s such an energy guy on game day that it just hypes up everybody.

Elliss on side field. Broncos second-year pass-rusher Jonah Elliss didn’t practice Wednesday and was limited to the side field.

Elliss was on the injury report last week with a ribs issue but played against the Eagles.

Stidham in England. Broncos No. 2 quarterback Jarrett Stidham was at practice Wednesday. That’s a notable development given he flew back to Denver on Sunday night after the Broncos’ win over Philadelphia because he and his wife, Kennedy, are expecting their third child.

No grass for you. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has a natural grass surface, but it’s only used for Tottenham F.C. matches. For NFL games in the building, which opened in 2019, the grass retracts and the game is played on artificial turf.

“Every player in our league would love to be playing on grass,” Payton said. … “That’s the preferred surface.”

Said outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, “Football is football. You’ve just got to play and work with what you have to. There’s terrible turf fields out there and there’s a couple of bad grass fields. You just make do with what you’ve got.”

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