His teammates had no idea. He had no idea.
Late in the first quarter Sunday in Pittsburgh, Broncos safety David Bruton dropped back to aid cornerback Aqib Talib in coverage on a deep pass thrown by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. After punching the ball out of the receiver’s reach, Talib collided with Bruton in midair, leaving the former grabbing his neck and the latter hobbling.
Talib dropped to ground, shaken up. He left the field but was able to return soon after. Bruton remained on the field. The pain was real but not excruciating.