Broncos rookie WR Henderson ‘day-to-day’ after thumb surgery

When Denver Broncos fans might be able to see rookie wide receiver Carlos Henderson back in action depends on how well his thumb heals from surgery this week to correct a torn ligament.

Head coach Vance Joseph said after practice on Monday that Henderson underwent surgery to fix the ligament in his left thumb on Sunday and his timeframe would be “day-to-day” as the team discovers the severity of the injury.

“We’re not sure … it depends on the healing process, how it looks in a couple of weeks, before we know the long-term effects of it,” Joseph said. “Right now we’re not sure, but he got it fixed (Sunday).”

Henderson’s injury is just the latest in a slew of offseason and camp casualties, as several starters have been sidelined since the start of OTAs.

On Monday, defensive lineman Jared Crick was carted off the field with an apparent back injury, and he’ll undergo an MRI to find out the extent of the issue. This weekend, defensive lineman Derek Wolfe “dodged a bullet” when what looked like a serious leg injury turned out to be a lower ankle sprain. Both are day-to-day.

During the team’s first preseason game, defensive lineman Billy Winn suffered a torn ACL and was placed on injured reserve. Linebackers Shane Ray (wrist) and Shaquil Barrett (hip) and nose tackle Kyle Peko (foot) have been sidelined for most or all of training camp.

After Wolfe’s injury on Saturday, Joseph said that depth on the defensive side of the ball is “absolutely” a concern, but on Monday said the team would need to wait and see on the severity of Crick’s injury and how long he might be out.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.