<
        >

          NFL Nation

          Demaryius Thomas says 'ankle will be fine' and he's now working out

          • Jeff Legwold, ESPN Senior WriterMar 30, 2015, 05:10 PM ET
            Close
              Jeff Legwold is a senior writer who covers the Denver Broncos and the NFL at ESPN. Jeff has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years, joining ESPN in 2013. He also assists with NFL draft coverage, including his annual top 100 prospects. Jeff has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999. He has attended every scouting combine since 1987.
            Follow on X

          ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas did not miss a game over the last month of the regular season and played in the playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

          But he said Monday it took “about a month’’ after the season was over for an ankle/Achilles injury he suffered during a Dec. 4 practice to feel better. The Broncos held Thomas out of practice at times and limited him some at other times down the stretch, but he played in the Broncos’ final four games of the regular season – he had three 100-yard games in that stretch – and in the divisional round loss to the Colts.

          “Ankle will be fine, I could go out and run routes right now if I had to,’’ Thomas said by phone from Los Angeles, where he was attending an event for the Call of Duty video game. “But I don’t want to have any pain, I’m pretty sure I’ll be good in another month or so, with the Achilles, I’ll be fine, I’ll be great.’’

          Thomas had suffered a slight right ankle injury – he called it “a tweak’’ – in the Broncos’ Nov. 30 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium, but had the same ankle stepped on, in a different spot, during practice the following week. Monday, Thomas said the injury he suffered in practice was more to his Achilles tendon and that immediately following the season he initially tried to limit his activity.

          “It was probably about a month until it started to really feel better,’’ Thomas said. “But now I’m back working out some, doing things to get ready. I’ll be ready to go for camp and all that, but I want to make sure I’m 100 percent all the way around before then.’’

          Thomas said he will skip the workouts quarterback Peyton Manning has planned at Duke – Manning and the team’s pass catchers have gone there in each of the previous offseasons – and will not attend the Broncos’ offseason program. Thomas was designated as the Broncos’ franchise player and as a result the unrestricted free agent was given a one-year, $12.823 million tender offer.

          Thomas has not yet signed the offer as the Broncos and his representatives continue work on a long-term deal.

          “I’ll be back in Georgia, trying to get the body right, get the ankle right,’’ Thomas said. “Then when it’s time to go, make sure I’m 100 percent ready to go.’’