The Denver Broncos may have their starting center back in time for the AFC Championship game.
Denver center Luke Wattenberg (shoulder) returned to practice Wednesday, opening his 21-day window to return from injured reserve. Wattenberg needs to be activated by Saturday for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. If Denver pulls off an upset win, Wattenberg will still be a candidate to be activated before the Super Bowl if he’s not activated this weekend.
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Wattenberg’s return could come at a good time, as backup center Alex Forsythe suffered an ankle injury in the divisional round of the playoffs. Sam Mustipher replaced Forsyth after he went down last weekend.
The Broncos just released reserve center Michael Dieter from the practice squad on Tuesday, which could indicate the team expects Wattenberg to be activated later this week. After Wattenberg, the team still has room to designate another player to return from IR.
Broncos IR Echo Name
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D.L. Malcolm Roach (active)
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pound Dre Greenlaw (active)
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pound Garrett Vallow (Activated, but later cut off)
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Auger Ben Powers (active)
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pound Karin Reed (active)
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pound Drew Sanders (not activated yet)
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TE Lucas Krull (not activated yet)
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RB JK Dobbins (not activated yet)
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C Luke Wattenberg (not activated yet)
Broncos safety Brandon Jones (pec) has yet to return to practice, and judging by coach Sean Payton’s comments, he’s unlikely to return even if Denver reaches the Super Bowl, but there’s an open spot.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wired: Denver Broncos News: C Luke Wattenberg designated to return from IR