Barring the addition of a veteran the Denver Broncos will enter the regular season with Mitch Ewald as their kicker.
Matt Prater who was 25-of-26 last season has been suspended by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Prater’s violation is alcohol related. He has been in the NFL’s alcohol program since his DUI in August of 2011.
“I’ve made some mistakes,” Prater told The Denver Post of his suspension. “I’m accepting full responsibility. I’ll learn from it and come back a better person. I want to apologize to my teammates, my coaches, the Broncos’ organization and the fans.”
Prater’s attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said the kicker felt bad about his suspension which will keep him out until Week 5 against Arizona.
“No one feels worse about this than Matt Prater,” Steinberg told the newspaper. “He feels terribly for his teammates. It’s cost him personally, both professionally and financially. I wonder if we shouldn’t take a second look at the policy when only a couple beers were consumed at home while he was on vacation. Having said that, the NFL under the constraints of the policy couldn’t have treated us better.”
Wes Welker suffers concussion, Broncos have concerns?
The Denver Broncos were without wide receiver Wes Welker for three games last season following a pair of concussions. On Saturday night he suffered another.
Welker took a hit to the head from Houston Texans safety D.J. Swearinger. While Welker was able to get right back up he was quickly escorted to the locker room by the Broncos training staff.
Given Welker’s recent concussion troubles the Broncos were right to express concerns about Welker.
