On Wednesday, we heard mention of Drew Sanders' name for the first time in months at Denver Broncos headquarters. The third-year linebacker has spent the entire season on injured reserve after suffering a foot injury early in training camp. Wednesday's practice report brought good news on Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II and linebacker Alex Singleton, both of whom returned to the field. Conspicuously, Sanders wasn't on the practice report.There was hope that the Broncos might start Sanders' clock coming out of the bye, but he's not quite ready yet. However, head coach Sean Payton emphasized that the Broncos are still planning on returning Sanders this season, and perhaps sooner than later, unlike running back J.K. Dobbins, who was placed on IR ahead of Week 11. Payton leans on the report of Broncos V.P. of Player Health and Performance, Beau Lowery, to get progress on IR players, like Sanders. “It’s going to be later, but yes. We monitor the progress," Payton said on Wednesday. "Beau goes through the report. I don’t have the game, and honestly, the same can be said with Dobbins.”What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!The Sanders InjuryJul 24, 2025; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos inside linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding with linebacker Levelle Bailey (56) and linebacker Justin Strnad (40) and linebacker Drew Sanders (41) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) and linebacker Alex Singleton (49) during Denver Broncos Training Camp. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesSanders underwent surgery in July to repair a ligament in his foot. The injury occurred on July 26 and was originally billed by Payton as one that would take "north of four to six weeks." Fast forward to late November, and we're obviously well beyond the initial prognosis, though it's not as if Payton was being dishonest. It has been "north of four to six weeks," just well north of it. It's unclear whether Sanders suffered a setback in his recovery, or if the delay in his return has more to do with the Broncos' current roster math. The trio of Singleton, Dre Greenlaw, and Justin Strnad have performed well this season. Singleton is only a few weeks removed from a scary cancer diagnosis, which saw him miss Week 11's game. But after his surgery to remove a tumor, he's already back to full practice. Garrett Wallow rounds out the Broncos' linebacker room on the 53-man roster. The Broncos also have a couple of linebackers on the practice squad in Levelle Bailey and Jordan Turner. Since they're not desperate at linebacker, perhaps the Broncos haven't seen a need to push Sanders back onto the field. Or, at the very least, it has afforded the team and player with all the time he needs to fully recover. And that could be the philosophy here. Sanders has been plagued by injuries since arriving as a third-round pick out of Arkansas in 2023, and the Broncos likely want to do everything within their power to give him the best possible chance at staying healthy when he returns. Sanders was available for all 17 games as a rookie, but didn't start seeing action until the end of the 2023. What he showed was intriguing, to be sure, but as the Broncos hit the 2024 offseason, he suffered an Achilles tear during workouts. That injury saw Sanders miss all but four games of the 2024 season, but the Broncos did bring him back, and he even appeared in the team's Wildcard playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. Hopes were high that he would finally get a full offseason to be healthy and enter a season prepared and ready to rock. Devastating LuckWhen the injury bug struck Sanders again early in training camp, it was devastating. It felt like a black cloud was just following the uber-athletic and talented young linebacker around. This is a long-winded way of saying that the abundance of caution the Broncos are taking with Sanders this time around is well-founded. And, frankly, with how good the team's three-man rotation is playing this season, there's no need to return Sanders at all this season, provided the linebacker room can stay healthy. However, the Broncos have some big decisions to make at linebacker next season, with both Singleton and Strnad set to be free agents. Having a healthy Sanders could help make those decisions a little bit clearer, which is another reason why the timetable Denver is taking with his injury makes sense. At some point, Broncos Country will hopefully get to see Sanders again at 100%. The Broncos believe he can be a starter, but he needs to create a little distance between himself and that virulent insect known as the injury bug. More Must-Read Denver Broncos Coverage