It sure looked as if the Denver Broncos were going to be without outside linebacker Shane Ray for training camp due to wrist surgery, which would've kept him out for 2-3 months. But apparently, that won’t be the case as Ray didn’t even go under the knife, as Ian Rapoport and James Palmer of NFL Network report.
Unexpected good news for Broncos: OLB Shane Ray was supposed to have wrist surgery this summer, but the doctor slated to perform it didn’t believe it was necessary, sources tell James Palmer and me. He stuck to rehab & his timetable for return is much quicker than anticipated.
Rapoport adds that Ray could start training camp on the physically unable to perform list, but might not miss any regular season games.
Although, Ray was already expecting to be ready for the season opener even while he was still set to undergo the surgery. The Broncos also had a ready-made replacement in Bradley Chubb if Ray did miss some time due to injury.
Article Continues BelowNevertheless, it’s a big break for Ray in what is a crucial year for him. After the Broncos declined his fifth-year option, the former first-round pick is playing for a brand new contract this season.
Ray showed flashes of his potential in 2016 when he had eight sacks in 16 games. However, he failed to build upon that big year in 2017, as he had just one sack in an injury-hit eight-game season.
Hopefully, the fact that Ray avoided wrist surgery-which would’ve been his fourth on the same wrist-can lead to him having a healthy and productive year and land a long-term deal.