AP

The foot injury Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey suffered during Week Two of the preseason was supposed to sideline him for several weeks. In this case, the word “several” could mean “two and change.”

According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, Bailey has returned to practice. Via Twitter, Klis writes that Bailey is wearing a helmet and “taking normal reps.”

Bailey didn’t practice at all on Monday, but he took part in practice to an unknown extent on Sunday.

It’s unclear whether that means Bailey will be able to play on Thursday night. It’s also unclear whether it will matter. The last time the Ravens and Broncos squared off, receiver Torrey Smith made Bailey look like anything but one of the best cover corners in NFL history.

Smith told PFT Live last week that he expects to see Bailey on Thursday night. It could be that Smith really, really wants to see Bailey again.