Wes Welker expected to play Sunday against Seahawks
One of Peyton Manning‘s top receivers, Wes Welker, is set to return to the Denver Broncos this week just in time to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in a Super Bowl XLVIII rematch.
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Welker had missed the first two games of the regular season after being suspended four games for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs.
But the NFL announced on Wednesday morning that they and the “NFL Player’s Association announced an agreement on a revised performance enhancing drug policy” that allowed Welker and two other players’ suspensions to be dropped immediately, according to KING 5 News.
Welker was back with the Broncos for their practice Wednesday and he is expected to take the field on Sunday against the Seahawks.
That’s just one more offensive weapon for Manning, who already has tight end Julius Thomas and receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, the latter whom was not on the Broncos in last year’s Super Bowl.
In that game, the Seahawks dominated 43-8, but allowed big yards to Demaryius Thomas (13 catches, 118 yards, TD) and Welker (8 catches, 84 yards).
Seattle’s secondary will need to get it together for Sunday’s game after allowing the San Diego Chargers to throw for 276 yards and three touchdowns, numbers they cannot afford to give up to Manning.
This is just the fifth time in NFL history that the prior year’s Super Bowl participants will meet in the following regular season, and the game is expected to be much closer than it was in last year’s big game.
Two angry teams will be on the field — the Broncos are still stewing after such a humiliating defeat in the biggest game of last year while the Seahawks are furious after being dominated by the Chargers in a frustrating loss on Sunday.
The return of Welker means one more weapon on Denver’s offense that the Seahawks need to worry about, but if they prepare properly they have a good chance of winning on Sunday.
Seattle is 18-1 at home, including the postseason, since the start of the 2012 campaign.