Hamler (knee) has a chance to return to full practice as early as next week, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.
Hamler continues to work his way back from an ACL tear suffered in Week 3 of last season. Although the speedy wideout came off the PUP list Aug. 1, he has not participated in the Broncos' 11-on-11 portion of practices. General manager George Paton said "(KJ) still looks great. He's working on the side field. Sometimes you have to protect these players from themselves." Paton added that Hamler should be ready to go next week. The cautious approach to his return makes sense considering the Broncos are already down one of their top receivers in Tim Patrick (knee) for the season. The loss of Patrick provides a major boost to Hamler's fantasy potential, as the 23-year-old will serve as Denver's No. 3 receiver. His impending return to practice should give him time to develop chemistry with new quarterback Russell Wilson ahead of the 2022 campaign.