Broncos Linebacker Has Screws Removed From Right Foot

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Linebacker Brandon Marshall had screws removed from his right foot on Friday, but said doctors decided to leave in half of a screw that had broken during the preseason.

The Denver Broncos' second-leading tackler played all season after one of the two screws broke in half, something he at first feared would send him to the sideline in September. The pain subsided, however, and Marshall went on to post his second consecutive 100-tackle season.

The screws were put in place nearly a year ago after Marshall dealt with a Lisfranc ligament injury late in 2014.

At the Super Bowl, Marshall said, "I can't wait to get these out."

That time came Friday. Marshall tweeted a photo of his right foot before the procedure saying he was finally getting the screws removed. He posted a "correction" afterward in which he noted that doctors had to leave in a piece of the broken screw. Otherwise, he'd be facing a much longer recovery.

Marshall, set to be a restricted free agent next month, expects to be back in time for the team's offseason program, which starts April 18.

He was also bothered but not hampered by a sprained right index finger that he injured when he poked the football from Jamaal Charles' grasp in Denver's last-second win at Kansas City in Week 2. Cornerback Bradley Roby scooped up the loose ball and returned it for the winning score just seconds after the Broncos had tied the game.

"This has bothered me for the whole season," Marshall said on the eve of the Super Bowl, showing his splinted finger. "As soon as I did it, it was stuck (in an odd shape) and they had to pull it and it was killing me.

"But it was worth it."

By Arnie Stapleton, AP Pro Football Writer

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