Julius Thomas' Injury Should Cause Broncos to Sit Star TE in Week 12 vs Dolphins

The Denver Broncos must keep the big picture firmly in mind before making a final call on Julius Thomas this week. Even if the tight end is able to make some progress before Sunday, the team should play it safe and leave him on the sidelines for its clash with the Miami Dolphins.

Thomas suffered an ankle injury against the St. Louis Rams. He finished with just two catches for three yards as the normally dynamic Broncos offense put up just seven points. His absence wasn't the only reason—Emmanuel Sanders and Montee Ball also got banged up—but it definitely played a key role.

The good news for Denver is that the ailment doesn't sound overly serious. Mike Klis of The Denver Post reported right away on Monday that Thomas wasn't in a walking boot, which was one of several positive signs about his status:

"

He's not in a boot, which is encouraging. He was able to slip on a basketball shoe, which is also encouraging. He walked through the locker room without a noticeable limp.

'I knew it was something that wasn't going to end my season,' Thomas said. 'I'm day to day.'

"

While that's encouraging, there are still short-term questions.

Jeff Legwold of ESPN reported on Wednesday that Thomas still wasn't participating in practice and had the ankle wrapped for protection:

The Broncos must balance two desires. First, they would love to get their offense back on track after a rare down game. But they also have a very important stretch of games coming up over the next month and don't want to risk a more serious injury for Thomas.

Ultimately, this seems like a perfect time to give the matchup nightmare an extra week of rest.

Denver is going up a Dolphins squad that doesn't feature an explosive offense. It ranks 16th in total offense and own the league's 22nd-best aerial attack. So it's not a game where Peyton Manning and Co. need to have all hands on deck for a potential shootout.

Then there's the upcoming schedule. After the Broncos finish the game with Miami, they have three out of their next four on the road, and none of them would fall into the gimme category. Not to mention they just finished a three-game road trip.

Thomas figures to serve as a far more crucial piece of the puzzle against the Kansas City Chiefs, which are currently tied with Denver for the AFC West lead, San Diego Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals than he would be after rushing back this week.

Again—and fantasy football owners in the middle of playoff races don't like hearing it—but this is about looking ahead for the Broncos. They have another potential Super Bowl run on the horizon. Losing Thomas by pushing a little too hard at this stage would be a huge blow to those chances.

More updates about his status will surely surface over the next few days as the team starts to ramp up its preparations for the Dolphins. But unless he's all the way back to full strength with no chance of causing a more serious injury, Thomas should remain out of action.

The potential reward of playing him in Week 12 isn't worth the risk.