Emmanuel Sanders hoping to be ready for Week 1

Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders suffered a torn Achilles late last season, but he is hoping to be fully cleared in time for Week 1.

Sanders admitted on Tuesday that he will “definitely not” be a full participant when training camp begins on Thursday, and he said the team will instead work him back into the mix gradually.

Emmanuel Sanders said he’s “definitely not going to be full-go from the jump” in training camp and isn’t sure if he’ll participate in the conditioning test Wednesday. Said they’ll gradually work him back to full.

“I want to be ready for Week 1.”

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) July 16, 2019

A torn Achilles is one of the most difficult injuries to come back from, so being ready for Week 1 would be a huge testament to the hard work Sanders has put in this offseason. The 32-year-old, who is still expected to be an important part of Denver’s offense with new quarterback Joe Flacco, caught 71 passes for 868 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games last season.

There was some talk earlier in the offseason about the Broncos potentially asking Sanders to take a pay cut from the $10.25 million he is scheduled to make in 2019, but they did not do that. That may be a positive sign for how his rehab is coming.