Do the Denver Broncos Have an Injury Problem?
Ron Chenoy, USA TODAY Sports.
Denver, Colorado (PSF) - Broncos training camp took a heartbreaking turn on July 31st.
During a seven-on-seven drill, Tim Patrick went down with a non-contact injury that was later confirmed to be a torn Achilles tendon. It’s Patrick’s second season-ending injury in as many years, and has a good chance to impact his career going forward given his age. It’s a gut punch for one of Denver’s best leaders and most consistent players, who looked to be recovering well from his torn ACL last year. The Broncos now have to figure out how to replace a player they had very high hopes for this season; That task was complicated even more when, shortly after Patrick’s injury, news Broke that KJ Hamler would be taking time away from the team to address his recent pericarditis diagnosis. Hamler may return later in the season, but that is far from a guarantee. The loss of two talented receivers within such a short time frame is a stunning stroke of misfortune, but it also spotlights just how bad Denver’s injury woes have been as of late.
The Broncos’ string of injury issues started in earnest in 2020. That season was a terrible year for injuries around the league, but the Broncos had an array of contributors go down that season. Von Miller’s season ended before it began. Courtland Sutton was lost to a torn ACL after just two games. Prized offseason acquisition missed all but three contests. Injuries hit the Broncos where it hurt the most that year, and it showed in their 5-11 record. Unfortunately, 2021 didn’t treat Denver much better. The Broncos limped through injuries to a number of key players, with numerous starters missing time. Starting corners, receivers and linebackers all ended up on injured reserve at some point that season. Denver emerged from that year battered, bruised, and once again last in the AFC west. And yet, for all the injury woes Denver had endured in those two years, it all paled in comparison to what happened in 2022. The Broncos had 28 different players end up on injured reserve last season. The injuries were spread across the depth chart, but Denver’s top talent was hit especially hard: Starters Garett Bolles, Ronald Darby, Lloyd Cushenberry, Tim Patrick and Javonte Williams all had their seasons ended before thanksgiving. Patrick and Williams both sustained torn ACLs, and WIlliams also suffered additional damage to his knee. This string of injuries begs the question: Is what has happened to the Broncos out of the ordinary?
The answer, in all likelihood, is no. No matter how asinine Denver’s recent injury luck may seem to be, the harsh reality is that the Broncos are in the business of football. It’s a physical game. It’s the most physical game. Those who play it will get hurt, and many of them will get hurt around the same time. The Broncosare simply going through one of those spurts of bad luck. Instead of researching turf conditions or calling for the training staff’s jobs, it’s a much better use of time and energy to focus on the human element of the injuries. We always want to look for ways to prevent our favorite players from getting hurt, but that is ultimately in the hands of the doctors and scientists of the world. As fans, our role is to support injured players any way we can, through positivity and encouragement.
