Broncos G Netane Muti Evaluated for Knee Injury
Netane Muti was conspicuously absent from Saturday's training camp practice, because, per head coach Nathaniel Hackett, the third-year guard is dealing with a knee injury. Muti also did not practice Monday after the team returned from its off day.
The nature of his injury remains unclear.
"We are evaluating his knee," is all Hackett offered.
A 2020 sixth-round draft pick, Muti is locked into the reserve role in Denver, for whom the Fresno State product has appeared in 19 games, starting four. He logged 317 offensive snaps last season, allowing four sacks while drawing a 59.0 overall blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.
Muti began camp as the direct backup to presumed starting guards Dalton Risner and Quinn Meinerz. But the 23-year-old has impressed in new OL coach Butch Barry's wide-zone scheme — to the extent that he's taken first-string reps from Risner.
“He’s gained ground in the sense of [being] another [gap-]type body type," offensive coordinator Justin Outten said of Muti on July 30. "When you look at him, you’re saying, ‘OK this is a guy that’s going to play downhill’. Another athletic guy that can move in this system at the guard position. That’s a very competitive position, we all can see that. Again with the pads, we can talk about that as far as when we move forward and get a really good evaluation of that.
"Those two guys [G Netane Muti and G/C Quinn Meinerz] are battling each and every day and they both have really good characteristics that fit our system. To tag a starter across the board or at certain positions, I don’t think that’s realistic at this point because you don’t want people to get complacent with what’s going on."
Muti likely won't play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Cowboys. However, more will be gleaned when the result of his evaluation is made public.
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