DeMarcus Ware is many things. He is a tactician, a student, a teacher, a motivator and a machine, all built into a svelte, 6-foot-4, 258-pound frame that gives quarterbacks nightmares. His combination of mind and body has created both a cerebral and physically daunting pass-rusher rarely seen in the National Football League, but Father Time has recently been his worst enemy.

At 33 years old, the soft-spoken outside linebacker is still a young man, but not by the standards of the body-punishing world of the NFL. The last three seasons of his career he has uncharacteristically become prone to bouts of injury that stalled otherwise fantastic seasons filled with sacks and wins. Sunday he is poised to rejoin his teammates and top-ranked defense on their continued quest to be champions. After 10 seasons in the NFL, Ware has been on good and bad teams and understands completely the chance he has with the 2015 Denver Broncos.

“I think this team as a whole is one of the best chances I’ve had, other than when I played with the Cowboys and were 13-3. We are getting to the point of where we can win the Super Bowl. What we want to do is be as consistent as we can be through the season and postseason. This team that we have; I’m excited about it and excited to get back on the field. Also, we are playing so well at this part of the year. We are actually improving and getting better each week.”

Ware began the season as he did last year. He came out of the gate and quickly compiled 4.5 sacks to lead the team before a back injury sidelined him in Week 5. He came back for Weeks 7 and 8, grabbing two more sacks before missing the last four games due to the same injury. Ware missed only one regular season game in his first eight years before missing a total of nine games since 2013. A consummate health and fitness enthusiast, Ware understands the importance of listening to his body, but feels that the injury may be a blessing as the lengthy season wears on.

“Mother nature takes its toll. Your body wears down a little bit, so you have to make sure that you take care of it the right way and do everything that you need to do. Sometimes, injuries strike. You have to make sure that you get back the right way because sometimes your body can get a little bit more fragile or it takes a little bit more time to heal,” he said. “I know that I’ll be fresher for the stretch run. That’s one thing that I’m really looking forward to, is just getting back out on the field and playing some football.”

Ware has been phenomenal throughout his career. He’s part of the NFL All-Decade team of the 2000s, an eight-time Pro-Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro and has 133.5 career sacks (T-10th all-time). His sack rate of .81 a game trails only the great Reggie White among players appearing in 75 or more games in the history of the NFL. He has recorded double-digit sacks in eight of his 10 NFL seasons, including 20 in 2008 and 19.5 in 2011. He is a shining example to his teammates of a consistent player. Defensive coordinator and former head coach with the Dallas Cowboys, Wade Phillips knows what a combination of smarts and physical talent he has in No. 94.

“He possesses a lot of knowledge, but he’s got great ability. That’s the key thing. He’s smart enough to utilize his ability which is to be able to rush the passer, be able to create – I mean he still has six-and-a-half sacks and he hasn’t played very much. He’s a force on the field. He has been for a long time, and he’s continued that. We hope to get him back and be in that situation again with him.”

Head coach Gary Kubiak stated Thursday that if Ware can practice fully on Friday he will be set to return to the starting lineup. The Broncos depth on defense has not necessarily missed Ware’s output, but his teammates certainly are looking forward to having him back on the field.

“He’s just a leader on the sidelines keeping everybody calm. When we talk about getting DeMarcus Ware back, just the name itself, you can imagine what type of boost that’s going to give us,” Von Miller, who leads the team with nine sacks, said Thursday.

The Broncos defense is currently ranked first in several categories including sacks (41), five more than the next best team. Miller headlines the group of pass rushers with Ware, and rookie Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett have played above expectations as backups. However, both young players acknowledge that they have missed Ware’s leadership and football acumen the past four games.

“His presence is remarkable out there,” Barrett said Wednesday “He is always working with me, technically, trying to get my hands right and just make things more second nature than having to think about what I am doing.”

Ray echoed his teammates and coaches statements when asked about the biggest impact Ware has on the football field.

“His high level of intelligence really,” Ray said Wednesday. “He knows what to look for and he doesn’t hesitate. That is always good to have, someone that reacts that quick and has that much knowledge of the game. Having him back makes a huge difference.”

Ware is returning to a team that has excelled in his absence but he also knows what he brings outside in addition to his physical talent when he is on the field. He made the most important factor in his return to the gridiron clear when asked Thursday.

“One big thing is being vocal,” Ware said. “The guys listen and you have techniques and things you use. You see that from the film room, all the way to the field, is changes a lot more rapid now. You see the guys come back and say, ‘Hey, DeMarcus I saw exactly what you said when you were on the sideline when this guy was in his run technique or pass technique. I figured out these keys.’ You see the mental aspect that when I was gone and not playing. You see how big that is when you are sort of the in-the-huddle coach and they listen to you. That is really big.”

The Broncos have had high expectations for several years, including Ware’s first season with the Broncos in 2014, but have failed to reach the ultimate goal. Ware had nine sacks in the team’s first 10 games last season before grabbing only one more the rest of the year. That is why he is looking at the bright side of the recent injury and what it could mean for him and the team in the crucial days of December and January.

“Everything you look at, there is always a blessing in between and this is time I have been able to have off a little bit,” he said. “My body feels like going into training camp. It feels really fresh. Now it is just getting out there and sort of knocking the dust off.”

Ware acknowledged Thursday that the defense, with almost the same personnel, fell short last season creating turnovers and getting to opposing quarterbacks in big moments. As a student of the game, he explained how consistency in those two areas is the key to a truly great defense and he believes this season, the Broncos have turned a corner saying, “I think it is the mentality that the guys are playing with and the comfort level. Sometimes when you are out there you think, ‘I can’t do this or I can’t do that.’ Now guys are taking a chance.”

Ware knows the talent he has on the roster and certainly understands that his career is winding down. With newfound depth to aid his cause in his time-honored, and studied, art of the sack, he may have his best shot ever at getting a Lombardi Trophy and being a part of one of the best defenses to ever do it. It is a concept that was not lost on him last year or the previous eight. Now there is only one thing left for them to do.

“We tried to do that last year, to win a championship and we didn’t accomplish that. Now its, ‘You know what? You want it? Now let’s go and get it.’”

If anyone possesses both the knowledge and skill to go get it done, it’s Ware. And he and his appear to be ready.

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