The Denver Broncos had a disappointing season — at least for those who may have thought the team was going to the playoffs and had a chance to win the Super Bowl — but there were still many small victories this season.
One of those was the signing of Jeremiah Attaochu.
Even the Broncos had to be surprised in what they found in Attaochu, who was only brought in after a season-ending injury to Bradley Chubb. With the season already in great peril at that time, the Broncos had to hit the free agent market and find some sort of pass rusher.
Attaochu, a former second-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers, was sitting there and likely would have sat out the entire season and maybe sat out for good had Denver not signed him.
Attaochu was with the Kansas City Chiefs in the preseason but did not make the team’s final 53-man roster. There is a good chance that could have been the end of the road in his NFL career, but the Broncos came calling.
In 12 games with the team, he registered 3.5 sacks, five hits on the quarterback and a fumble recovery. He frequently got pressure and pushed the quarterback outside the pocket on his defensive snaps.
Attaochu did everything the Broncos could have asked for and hoped of him, but he is now set to be an unrestricted free agent after just signing on with the Broncos for this season.
Attaochu, who will turn 27 years old this month, could still have plenty of football left in him and with his play this season, it’s possible he caught the eye of other teams around the league.
It’s said that a team can’t have enough pass rushers and a good situational pass rusher can be a defensive coordinator’s best chess piece. Attaochu can be that.
When the Broncos lost Chubb, fans immediately lamented the fact that Shaquil Barrett was no longer with the team. Barrett was busy leading the entire NFL with 19.5 sacks for his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hindsight is always 20/20 and there is no doubt the Broncos would have liked to have found a way to keep Barrett. However, the move to bring in Attaochu following the injury to Chubb was not only a big surprise, but it could also pay off in years to come.
Teammates have taken note of Attaochu’s talent and would undoubtedly like to see him back for the 2020 season.
“Jerry’s a beast,” defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones said on Dec. 22. “I knew it from Day 1. I’ve always heard about his story — being at the Chargers and then injuries occurred. I’ve always known how talented Jerry was. To see him go out there and play and improve himself each week against every team is a credit to him and his work ethic.”
The Broncos have something in Attaochu as he could easily slide into the role that Barrett use to be in for the foreseeable future. The team needs to find a way to re-sign him this offseason.
Don’t sleep on this guy.
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