Kyle Orton

NFL sources said that while Kyle Orton’s injured finger was not fractured, the Broncos quarterback suffered an open dislocation (meaning it penetrated the skin) of the right knuckle.

That would explain the blood dripping from Orton’s finger and the excruciating pain the quarterback endured as the dislocation was popped back into place by trainer Steve “Greek’’ Antonopulos.

Orton suffered the injury when on the follow-through of his second-quarter pass, his right hand collided with the left hand of Chicago Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye.In football time, a dislocation is not as serious as a fracture so while Orton will not play Thursday in the Broncos’ final preseason game against Arizona, he has not been ruled out for the regular-season opener, Sept. 13 at Cincinnati. Orton’s biggest problem might be the stitches he needed to close the wound.

“I will be ready to go,’’ Orton said following the game Sunday night while trying to hide his heavily bandaged, but not casted, right finger. “”I am going to work as hard as I can. I don’t know how long I’ll be out but mentally I will be ready to go and I think physically I will be, too.’’