ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) Garett Bolles ditched his walking boot Monday, using only crutches to get around the Denver Broncos headquarters and get treatment for a lower left leg injury that's not as serious as first feared.
''It's a lower leg bruise, so we're very lucky that it isn't serious and he's week to week,'' coach Vance Joseph said. ''So, we dodged a bullet in my opinion there.''
''Yeah, that's great to hear, man. We love Garett. He's been doing a great job,'' said nose tackle Domata Peko. ''A rookie starting at left tackle in this league, that's tough to do. So, we'll be praying for him and hopefully a speedy recovery.''
The Broncos initially feared a torn Achilles tendon, which would have ended the rookie's season.
Possible fill-ins for Bolles, the 20th overall pick out of Utah in the 2017 NFL draft, include veterans Donald Stephenson and Allen Barbre.
Stephenson went in when Bolles got hurt in the third quarter of Denver's 45-17 win over Dallas and played a couple of snaps, including the one on which Trevor Siemian threw a TD pass to tight end Virgil Green. Barbre took the rest of the snaps at left tackle.
''We thought putting Barbre in would help us run the football better,'' said Joseph, whose Broncos outran the Cowboys 178 yards to 40.
Running back C.J. Anderson, who piled up 154 yards from scrimmage to go with two touchdowns Sunday, said he was impressed by Barbre, a guard by trade whom the Broncos acquired during training camp from Philadelphia.
''I like him a lot,'' Anderson said. ''He's a 10-year veteran. He knows how to play. That's how I look at it. Him being a 10-year vet and understanding what's going on, Allen is going to be really good for us. He's ready to step up if he has to play tackle.''
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