ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Tackle Quinn Bailey suffered an apparent fractured ankle during Wednesday's practice, according to Head Coach Sean Payton.

Bailey suffered the injury during 9-on-7 drills and was carted off the field.

"I'm not sure of the timeline relative to surgery, but that's always tough to see and be a part of when you're at practice," Payton said. "It's one of the, sometimes, bitter realities of our game. He was having a real good camp."

Payton said Bailey, a sixth-year player who has appeared in 31 games for the Broncos, was set to play a role for the Broncos' offense in 2024.

"He's a tremendous teammate and a guy that all he does is work his tail off," Payton said. "The progress he made a year ago [was impressive] and then, all of a sudden, we were just discussing the roster the other day. He was easily for us lineman [No.] six, someone that's going to be involved in the game plan — jumbo [packages]."

Payton also acknowledged the difficulty that comes with a serious injury, particularly during the recovery process.

"The hard part is not the injury itself," Payton said. "The hard part is the next eight months where as a player, you sit in that training room and you recognize that everything just keeps going. … It can be somewhat lonely, the recovery process. But he'll have the support of everyone here."

Following Bailey's injury, his teammates gathered around him to show support. The Broncos' offensive linemen also gathered as a group before the next 11-on-11 period during practice.

Payton said he would provide further updates on Bailey on Thursday.