ENGLEWOOD, Colo. –After a preseason foot injury kept him out of the first four games of the season, Champ Bailey made his 2013 regular-season debut against the Jaguars. But he aggravated the injury in Indianapolis and has now been ruled out for Sunday's game against his old team and former coach.

"It's definitely a game I hate to miss, but you know, I can't play," Bailey said of missing the Redskins game. "And I'm cool with it. I can't do anything about it – I've just got to do what I can to help my guys get ready."

Bailey said Friday that his foot feels better but he doesn't feel that he is "able to do the things that I want to do to make sure I'm productive on the field." He reiterated the point he made before his first appearance of the season and that was that he wouldn't go until he was ready.

Though the injury in Indianapolis wasn't as painful as the one he suffered in the preseason, Bailey said they occurred in similar situations.

"Well, I felt kind of what I felt the first time, but not as severe," Bailey said. "It's the same kind of action on the play, same plant and drive that I was trying to do. It was just pretty much the same thing, my foot just wouldn't hold up for that."

After the Broncos play the Redskins, they'll have their bye week – giving Bailey and the rest of the injured players an extended break to get back to full strength. Bailey said that he's "shooting for" a return after the bye.

While it's frustrating to be sidelined by injury, Bailey has been encouraged by the performance of the players that have stepped in and played in his place. So far this season the Broncos lead the NFL with 57 passes defensed and have picked off nine passes – a mark tied for sixth-best in the league.

"I mean, we've got a good group," Bailey said. "That's one thing about my position is we're so deep. We've got a lot of guys with some experience and guys that can play the game. I'm not really concerned about it."