NFL Wednesday Wire: Broncos to Put Surtain, Bryant on IR; Davenport Retires; Daniels "On Track" for Week 5

DENVER — Wednesday in the NFL is when the week's realities get sealed in injured reserve or papered over with optimism. This Wednesday delivered both. The Broncos are expected to send their best defensive player and a young receiver to IR, Washington's quarterback situation keeps spinning, a nine-year edge rusher walked away from the game entirely, and Thursday night's marquee matchup added a name to the injury report that nobody ever wants to see there: the kicker.

Start in Denver, where the week's biggest personnel loss is official-ish. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Broncos are expected to place star cornerback Pat Surtain II and wide receiver Pat Bryant on injured reserve. Surtain suffered a severe ankle injury in the second half of Sunday's loss to the 49ers; the franchise dodged the worst case — it is not season-ending — but he'll miss a handful of weeks either way. Bryant, the second-year wideout, hurt his right ankle in the same game; the Broncos are confident he avoided a long-term injury but expect him to miss a few weeks. Losing an All-Pro tone-setter in the secondary the same week you visit a desperate 0-4 Chargers team hunting its first win is about as rough as a Week 5 draw gets.

The week's biggest lever, though, might be a quarterback's elbow in Washington. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports that Jayden Daniels is "on track" to start Sunday against the Giants, two weeks removed from the dislocated left elbow that sidelined him. The need is urgent: Marcus Mariota, who started the 30-13 loss to the Colts in London, suffered an MCL sprain (per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler), leaving third-stringer Athan Kaliakmanis as the only healthy alternative if Daniels can't go — a situation we detailed earlier this week. Washington isn't leaving it to chance: NFL Media reports the Commanders are working out quarterback Jack Plummer on Wednesday. And in a quieter Tuesday move, the team placed receiver Jaylin Lane on IR with an ankle fracture — likely done for the season.

Across the division, the Giants got the news they feared. Receiver Braxton Berrios announced on Instagram that he will undergo season-ending foot surgery after landing on IR — "Two of my last three seasons ended this way and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't miserable right now," he wrote. New York is signing undrafted receiver Dontae Fleming to the practice squad, per USA Today's Art Stapleton, joining Jalin Hyatt and Dalen Cambre there; the active roster is down to Malik Nabers, Malachi Fields, Darnell Mooney, and Charlie Jones. With Daniels potentially returning on the other sideline, the Giants' margin for error in this one keeps shrinking.

Thursday night's game is 24 hours away and the injury report keeps getting longer. The day-2 report for Buccaneers at Cowboys added the one specialist nobody wants on the list: kicker Chase McLaughlin missed Tuesday's session with a right groin/hip issue, and his status for Thursday is genuinely uncertain on a short week. Baker Mayfield (thumb) still hasn't practiced through Tuesday, and head coach Todd Bowles has said Jalon Daniels will start Thursday if Mayfield can't go — our full Thursday night preview breaks down what that means for Tampa's offense. Antoine Winfield Jr. is out 2-4 weeks with a rib fracture, cornerback Benjamin Morrison (quad) and linebacker SirVocea Dennis (ankle/foot) haven't practiced, and linebacker Anthony Nelson was added with an illness. There are bright spots: rookie edge Rueben Bain Jr. was a full participant both days after missing two games, and linebacker Josiah Trotter moved from limited to full. For Dallas, linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, cornerback Cobie Durant, and tackle Drew Shelton remain sidelined, while All-Pro guard Tyler Smith — back in his 21-day return window — was limited with a thumb issue. Prescott, at least, is clean on the report.

Then there's the quiet end of a career. Bears edge rusher Marcus Davenport has retired after nine NFL seasons. His time in Chicago lasted exactly one healthy game — injuries defined his final chapter; he didn't play 10 games in any season from 2023 through 2026. His peak was real, though: a nine-sack 2021 campaign with the Saints that made him one of the league's most coveted young pass rushers. It's the kind of retirement that lands without a press conference, the body making the decision before the player gets a vote.

And the roster churn keeps turning elsewhere. The Ravens lost tight end Durham Smythe to a torn Achilles — he's out for the season, leaving rookies Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas behind him. Smythe was never a receiving threat, but he was a good blocker, and that's the kind of loss a run game feels first. The Patriots, meanwhile, brought 31-year-old running back Jamaal Williams in for a workout — his career year was 2022 in Detroit, when he ran for 1,000 yards and led the league in rushing touchdowns; in New England he'd be depth behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson ahead of their Week 5 trip to Las Vegas.

Thursday night opens the Week 5 sprint in Arlington. Then the real tests arrive Friday: whether Daniels' elbow survives a full week of practice, whether the Tyreek Hill sweepstakes finally lands a signature, and whether a Broncos secondary without its best player can hold up in a division game against a winless team with nothing to lose. Wednesday gave us the paperwork. The football starts Thursday.