The Denver Broncos will be without one of their best blockers for the rest of the season.

On Wednesday, right tackle Ryan Harris was placed on injured reserve with a right big toe injury. He’s slated to undergo surgery to repair bone and ligament damage in the toe and faces a lengthy rehabilitation, though he should be ready for next season.

Harris had dislocated the same toe Nov. 1 against Baltimore, and missed the next five games. He returned to start Sunday’s game at Kansas City but aggravated the toe injury in the game’s opening minutes.

Tyler Polumbus played right tackle during Harris’ initial absence and will take over the job again.>br/>
The reconfigured line will be tested severely Sunday against the undefeated Indianapolis Colts. Edge pass rushers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis have teamed up for 20 sacks this season. Polumbus will likely be matched up most of the time against Mathis, who has 9 1-2 sacks.

The Broncos also signed free agent tackle Herb Taylor. A former Texas Christian University star, Taylor spent a couple seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, who drafted him in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL draft. Taylor played in 18 games for the Chiefs, starting one, and was one of the team’s final cuts heading into this season.

---DENNIS GEORGATOS.