Demaryius Thomas to have second opinion on injured hip
By John Buhler
Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas is going to have a second opinion on his injured hip suffered in Week 1’s win over the Carolina Panthers.
According to Will Carroll of All22.com, Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas will seek a second opinion on his injured right hip suffered in Week 1’s 21-20 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night.
Demaryius Thomas getting second opinion, likely from hip specialist in Vail, on his injured hip after MRI showed damage. Big worry.
— Will Carroll (@injuryexpert) September 11, 2016
This is bad news for the Broncos, as Thomas’ first MRI on his hip revealed damage. Denver is not an elite offensive football team by any means. Any significant loss to its receiving corps could be problematic for new starting quarterback Trevor Siemian.
Siemian did enough to lead the Broncos to victory on Thursday night, but had to lean on running back C.J. Anderson and another vaunted Wade Phillips’ Broncos defense. Carolina may be one of the better defenses in the NFL in 2016, but not having Thomas for any stretch will hurt Siemian’s on-field growth this season.
Thomas is one of two Broncos pass catchers that can spread the field on the outside. Siemian still has a great wide receiver target in Emmanuel Sanders, but Thomas is a great complement to Sanders on the opposite side of the field.
Denver needs to proceed with caution with Thomas’ hip concerns. Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak will adjust accordingly, but his offensive game plan is already ultra-conservative to begin with.
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The Broncos can continue to pound the rock with Anderson and lean on Phillips’ defense, but if Siemian can’t throw outside the hash marks it could be a long season for the Denver offense in 2016. Thomas brings balance to the Broncos offense. Without him, Denver might struggle to score points.