Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas is back on the practice field for the Denver Broncos less than seven months following surgery on a torn Achilles tendon, reports the Denver Post. This is an earlier than expected return for Thomas, who many thought would take the six weeks allowed on the physically-unable-to-perform list before the team made a decision on whether to activate him or place him on injured reserve.
Thomas' return to the practice field, however, became a certain thing over the weekend when the team decided to keep him on their active roster. It's highly unlikely that he'll be active on Monday, Sept. 12 when the Broncos take on the Oakland Raiders to open the season, but his 2011 season is sure to begin earlier than the end of October or the start of November.
Thomas currently sits third on the depth chart behind Brandon Lloyd and Matthew Willis (Eddie Royal and Eric Decker play on the opposite side). Thomas had a rough rookie season due to injury, catching 22 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns. If he has made a full recovery, Thomas should certainly move ahead of Willis and possibly even Decker on the depth chart.
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