Patrick (hand) started catching the football Monday, although it's not clear when he will return to practice, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.
General Manager John Elway has already stated Patrick will be one of the Broncos' two players designated to return from injured reserve, and the fact he's able to catch signals he's on the brink of returning to practice. He won't be eligible to play until after the Broncos' Week 10 bye, but there could be a respectable workload available for him once he's healthy after the Broncos traded Emmanuel Sanders to the 49ers. In four games following Sanders' Achilles injury last season, Patrick flashed his potential by posting 19 receptions for 242 yards. However, he'll compete with DeSean Hamilton, Fred Brown, Diontae Spencer and Juwann Winfree for the No. 2 or No. 3 spot behind Courtland Sutton.