ENGLEWOOD, Colo.— After missing the first four days of camp to tend to his grandmother's funeral in Georgia, Demaryius Thomas returned to Dove Valley on Monday and participated in the evening walkthrough.

His grandmother essentially raised him and the weekend was not easy for him.

"You know, it was tough yesterday burying my grandma but since then everything's been better," Thomas said. "She's in a better place now so I'm fine and I'm ready to play football."

Though she had been sick for awhile, he still wasn't prepared for her death.

"You're really not [prepared] because when I went home to see her after the Super Bowl she was fine, she was talking and then one night it was just, she wasn't responding," he said. "So it was like [snaps fingers] a flip of a coin, she was gone."

He was glad to be back on the field and he said his teammates "are keeping me smiling." It is comforting for him to come back to the team.

"Yeah, it helps big time just to come back," Thomas said. "I know she's in a better place. She told me not to worry about her, she was fine. Just being back here, it also helps because when I was gone you had a lot of guys calling and texting and checking on me so that made me feel better too. "

He appreciated the Broncos' support and allowing him to take all the time he needed in attending the services.

"I can't speak for when he is going to be back exactly or anything like that but we are anxious to have him back and understand his situation and everything like that and feel for him," Wes Welker said. "Whenever he is ready, he is ready and we know what type of player he is, what type of person he is, and we are ready to have him out here on this football field with us."

Thomas watched film of practices while he was in Georgia and he said missing the first few days of camp did not put him behind. He said the main thing he needs to focus on is getting back into football shape.

"Being back out here to do what I love, it was great," he said.