Even though he made his presence known at practice last week from the sidelines, Broncos safety Quinton Carter finally returned to the field for individual drills on Monday, according to the team's official blog.
Carter was recently leapfrogged by Mike Adams in the team's starting strong safety spot due to his inactivity at such a crucial time in the year, but remains the favorite to see the bulk of the work at the position after a promising 2011 campaign. The second-year defensive back will now have exactly three weeks to prepare for Denver's Sept. 9 season opener with Pittsburgh.
A fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma who recorded 53 tackles last year in the Broncos' secondary, Carter has been itching to get back on the field since suffering both knee and hamstring injuries in late July. In addition to a physical presence like Carter, defensive back Tracy Porter and linebackers Ronnie Hillman and Danny Trevathan each also returned to practice on Monday, further strengthening John Fox's defense.
Stay with this StoryStream for more news on Carter's injury and progression, and be sure to visit Mile High Report for even more Broncos coverage. Also check out SB Nation's NFL hub for more preseason news from around the league.