Tag: Tim Patrick

8 Broncos players begin 2023 season on injured reserve

The Broncos have eight players on injured reserve going into Week 1. Three of them are eligible to return after four games.

After setting their 53-man roster and 17-player practice squad, the Denver Broncos are now set to face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1.

In addition to the 70 players on the active roster and practice squad, the Broncos also have eight players on injured reserve, three of whom will be eligible to return to the team later this year.

Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick (Achilles), inside linebacker Jonas Griffith (ACL), receiver Jalen Virgil (meniscus) and defensive lineman Forrest Merrill (undisclosed) are all out for the entire season.

Outside linebacker Christopher Allen (groin) also reverted to injured reserve after being waived with an injury designation and clearing waivers. Unless he reaches an injury settlement with the team, Allen will be out for the year.

Denver safety P.J. Locke (leg), offensive tackle Alex Palczewski (hand) and cornerback K’Waun Williams (ankle) all went on IR after the initial 53-man roster was set, which means they can return after four games. 

Here’s a quick look at the team’s players on IR going into Week 1.

Broncos buzz: Injuries damper start of training camp

One and a half weeks in, Broncos training camp has been dampened by injuries.

Broncos Wire will have weekly updates now through the end of training camp on the latest storylines from practice and preseason. This is the third edition. 

WR depth tested: The Broncos had a crowded WR depth chart going into training camp with Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Marvin Mims and KJ Hamler poised to have key roles in 2023. That depth took a big hit when Denver lost two WRs on the first day of padded practice — Patrick to a non-contact Achilles injury and Hamler to pericarditis, a mild heart irritation. The Broncos waived Hamler with a non-football illness designation, and coach Sean Payton said the WR will need about a month to recover and then a few weeks to get up to football speed. After he recovers, Hamler will be a candidate to re-sign with Denver. Patrick, meanwhile, is set to miss the entire season after being placed on IR. It’s heartbreaking news for Patrick, who also missed the entire 2022 season after tearing his ACL during camp last year.

Rookie watch: Mims will be asked to step up following the losses of Patrick and Hamler. A second-round pick out of Oklahoma, Mims will have an opportunity to win the WR3 job this summer. Mims is a speedy deep threat who could prove to be a perfect fit for QB Russell Wilson‘s signature “moon ball” in 2023.

This post originally appeared in Sports Weekly.

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Broncos coach Sean Payton comments on team’s camp injuries

“I don’t think it’s out of the ordinary,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of the team’s injuries at training camp this summer.

The Denver Broncos have lost two players to season-ending injuries at training camp this summer.

First, the team lost wide receiver Tim Patrick to a torn Achilles. After that, the team lost linebacker Jonas Griffith to a torn ACL. Broncos cornerback Riley Moss is also out for about a month after undergoing core muscle surgery, and wide receiver KJ Hamler was waived with a non-football illness designation.

With the absences piling up, Denver coach Sean Payton was asked after a practice session last week if he feels like the team is snake-bitten with injuries.

“No, I don’t,” Payton said on Aug. 3. “I don’t think it’s out of the ordinary, honestly. I can’t speak [about] the past, but in training camp, you get a few of these. Hopefully, you don’t get as many as other teams, but we look closely at everything we do leading up to the drills in practice.

“One was a fluke injury and the other happened on a special teams play where he stepped on a foot. So, no, I don’t.”

The Broncos had somewhat of an injury crisis last year and fans in Denver certainly don’t want to see a repeat of that in 2023. Payton doesn’t seem to think there’s reason for alarm.

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Broncos Wire podcast: Injuries, Nathaniel Hackett, Hall of Fame and more

On the latest Broncos Wire podcast, Ryan O’Leary and Jon Heath recap the injury updates, Hackett drama, Hall of Fame semifinalists and more.

The Denver Broncos had quite an eventual first week of training camp.

To break down all the news and updates, I joined host Ryan O’Leary on the Broncos Wire podcast to recap and react to the latest developments. You can listen to episode No. 82 below:

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Our unedited notes for this week’s pod can be seen below. 

Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler injuries 
  • Patrick, 29, suffered a non-contact Achilles tear on Monday. He will be placed on IR and miss the entire 2023 season. Patrick also missed the entire 2022 season with a torn ACL. He signed a three-year, $34 million contract extension late in the 2021 season and will now miss 34-straight games. Patrick has a potential out in his contract next spring. If the Broncos bring him back, Patrick will turn 31 during the 2024 season and have a $13 million salary cap hit.
  • Hamler, 24, was diagnosed with pericarditis, which he called a “mild heart irritation.” The Broncos waived him with a non-football illness designation. If they placed him on the reserve/NFI list, Hamler would have been ruled out for the entire 2023 season. Instead, Sean Payton said Hamler will need about a month to recover and then a few weeks to get up to football speed, then Denver might bring him back.
  • Hamler has had awful injury luck since being drafted by the Broncos in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. Hamler has been unavailable for 27 of the team’s 50 games over the last three years.
  • Big-name WRs available include Julio Jones, Jarvis Landry, T.Y. Hilton and Kenny Golladay, but Denver seems more likely to stick with in-house options. Behind Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, the top candidate to step up and help replace Patrick and Hamler is second-round pick Marvin Mims.
Sean Payton blasts Nathaniel Hackett 
  • Hackett, of course, is now OC for the Jets. New York head coach Robert Saleh stood up for Hackett and said “there’s a lot of crows pecking at our neck.”
  • Jets OL Billy Turner (who played under Hackett with the Packers and with the Broncos last season) called Payton an “[expletive] bum” and “childish” on his Instagram story.
  • Jets QB Aaron Rodgers said the comments were “way out of line” and Rodgers also called Payton “insecure.”
  • Hackett suggested that Payton broke a coaches code and he said “it’s unfortunate that that had to happen.”
  • The damage has clearly been done, though, and the Jets won’t forget those comments. Denver will host New York in Week 5 🍿🏈
Broncos have a new alternate helmet 
  • The Broncos have to wear the alternate helmet with their existing Color Rush uniform, which is all-orange. Some fans wanted the team to wear all-white or white pants with it.
3 former Broncos one step closer to Hall of Fame 
  • Broncos Super Bowl 50 champion DeMarcus Ware will sing the national anthem before the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday and he will then be enshrined in Canton as part of the 2023 class on Saturday.
  • Looking ahead to next year, ex-Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar is among 12 senior semifinalists for the 2024 Hall of Fame class. Up to three senior candidates will be elected to the 2024 class.
  • Mike Shanahan, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Broncos, is among 12 semifinalists in the coach/contributor category for 2024. Only one coach/contributor will be enshrined with the 2024 class.
  • Late coach Dan Reeves is also a coach/contributor semifinalist for 2024. Reeves reached nine Super Bowls as a player and coach, representing the third-most in NFL history only behind Bill Belichick (12) and Tom Brady (10).
Two quick questions on special teams to wrap things up
  • 1. The NFL has a new rule this year — a fair catch on a kickoff will result in the ball being spotted at the 25-yard line (even if it’s fielded inside the 25). Many coaches don’t like the change, and Sean Payton thinks it will have unintended consequences. The idea is to make the game safer by creating even fewer kickoff returns, a play that is responsible for many injuries every season. Do we think it’s a good rule change?
  • 2. Pat Surtain got a few reps as a punt returner this spring. He’s very willing to contribute on special teams, but the Broncos are only having him practice for emergency-type situations, not as a primary returner. Being such a valuable player, should Surtain even be a fallback option as a returner?
We will return later in the offseason with new podcast episodes as news pops up. If you enjoy this podcast, you can check out previous episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or on your podcast service of choice. Please consider giving the podcast a positive rating and review!

You can listen to every past episode below or at this link.

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There is some good news for Tim Patrick’s injury

“The good news is it’s a clean injury and there’s a better than likely 100% recovery,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of WR Tim Patrick.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick tore his Achilles at practice earlier this week, a devastating injury that will sideline him for the entire 2023 season.

Patrick also missed the entire 2022 campaign after tearing his ACL in training camp on Aug. 2 last summer.

“I spoke to him [Monday night],” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Tuesday. “Of course he’s disappointed. My understanding is almost a year ago to the day [he suffered a season-ending knee injury]. I think the hard thing — and I said this yesterday — is for a player to spend most of his offseason rehabbing, and then all of a sudden hit another roadblock.” 

Patrick missing the entire season is terrible news for him and the team, but there is some positive news about the nature of the injury.

“He sounded better last night,” Payton said. “He’s tough-minded, and he’s a really good leader. The good news is it’s a clean injury and there’s a better than likely 100% recovery. It’s pretty clean, relative to the type of surgery he’s going to have. I don’t have a date yet as to when that will take place, but that’s where we are at there.”

Coming back from an Achilles injury is always difficult, but Patrick’s tear shouldn’t make it extra complicated. With a “clean” tear, the 29-year-old receiver will aim to fully recover and return for the 2024 season.

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Broncos’ updated WR depth chart after Tim Patrick injury

Following the Tim Patrick injury, Marvin Mims could be poised to step up. Here is our projected wide receiver depth chart for the Broncos.

The Denver Broncos’ wide receiver depth chart lost two players on Monday after Tim Patrick tore his Achilles and KJ Hamler was waived with a non-football illness designation.

Following the loss of Patrick and Hamler, Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton remain the team’s top two receivers going into 2023. Jeudy and Sutton also served as the top WRs in 2022 after Patrick missed the entire year with a torn ACL. Hamler battled various injuries last year and missed 10 games.

Behind Jeudy and Sutton, the top candidate to serve as the WR3 is rookie Marvin Mims, a second-round pick out of Oklahoma who will undoubtedly see his role increase following Patrick’s injury.

After those top three, several players will be competing for the final WR spots this summer. Jalen Virgil impressed last offseason and played in nine games in 2022; Marquez Callaway had a breakout season under Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints in 2021; Brandon Johnson played in eight games last year and Kendall Hinton is a fan favorite.

The remaining WRs — Taylor Grimes, Montrell Washington, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Michael Bandy and Nick Williams — will all face long odds to make the 53-man roster this summer. Our projected wide receiver depth chart going into the second week of camp can be seen below.

Broncos Wide Receiver Depth Chart

WR1 WR2 WR3
Jerry Jeudy Courtland Sutton Marvin Mims
Jalen Virgil Brandon Johnson Marquez Callaway
Kendall Hinton Michael Bandy Montrell Washington
Lil’Jordan Humphrey Taylor Grimes Nick Williams 

 

Broncos fill Tim Patrick’s former roster spot by signing CB Fabian Moreau

The Broncos will sign CB Fabian Moreau to fill the open roster spot after placing WR Tim Patrick on injured reserve.

The Denver Broncos are signing cornerback Fabian Moreau to a one-year contract, according to a report from NFL Network’s
Mike Garafolo.

Moreau is being signed to fill the roster spot that will be created when the team places wide receiver Tim Patrick (Achilles) on injured reserve.

Moreau (6-0, 204 pounds) is a seventh-year cornerback who entered the NFL as a third-round pick out of UCLA with Washington in 2017. After four years in D.C., Moreau spent time with the Atlanta Falcons (2021), Houston Texans (2022) and New York Giants (2022).

Moreau has appeared in 90 games in his career, earning 45 starts. The 29-year-old cornerback has totaled 252 tackles, 35 pass breakups and six interceptions since 2017.

The Broncos previously worked out cornerback Mark Gilbert last month. Riley Moss, Denver’s third-round draft pick, has not been at practice the last two days for an undisclosed reason. The Moreau signing might have been made in part to provide more depth while Moss is sidelined.

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Broncos sign wide receiver to replace KJ Hamler

After waiving KJ Hamler on Monday, the Broncos filled the open roster spot by signing WR Nick Williams on Tuesday.

After waiving wide receiver KJ Hamler with a non-football illness designation on Monday, the Denver Broncos filled Hamler’s former spot on the 90-man offseason roster by signing fellow receiver Nick Williams.

This will mark Williams’ third stint with the team this offseason. An undrafted rookie, Williams is a local prospect who played high school football at Cherry Creek and started his college career at CSU-Pueblo before later transferring to UNLV.

Williams was previously signed on June 5 and cut on June 13 and later re-signed on July 25 and cut on July 28. He will hope the third time’s the charm.

Broncos receiver Tim Patrick tore his Achilles on Monday but at the time of this writing, Patrick remains on the roster. Denver will likely place Patrick on injured reserve in the coming days, a move that will open up another roster spot.

Broncos Wire published a list of 10 free agent wide receivers the team might consider signing on Tuesday. Williams was at the top of the list.

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10 free agent wide receivers Broncos should consider signing

Going forward without Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler, the Broncos will need more depth at WR. Here’s a quick list of 10 free agents to monitor.

Following the losses of wide receivers Tim Patrick (Achilles) and KJ Hamler (pericarditis) on Monday, the Denver Broncos will likely sign at least one receiver in the coming days.

Hamler might be able to return to the team later this year, but Patrick is set to miss the entire 2023 season.

The biggest name free agent available is Julio Jones, but he is 34 years old and coming off a quiet season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Other big-game players available are Jarvis Landry (30) and T.Y. Hilton (33), who have both seen their production drop in recent seasons.

One unflashy name to watch is Nick Williams, who has had two different stints with the Broncos this spring. Williams is a local prospect who played high school football at Cherry Creek and started his college career at CSU-Pueblo before later transferring to UNLV ahead of the 2022 college football season.

With those names in mind, here’s a quick look at the full list of 10 free agent wide receivers the Broncos should consider signing.

Broncos WR Tim Patrick believed to have suffered season-ending torn Achilles

According to Adam Schefter, Broncos WR Tim Patrick is believed to have suffered a torn Achilles, which would end his 2023 season

It looks like Tim Patrick might miss the entire season for the second straight year. After being sidelined with a torn ACL in 2022, Patrick has likely suffered another season-ending injury.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Patrick is believed to have torn his Achilles in practice on Monday. He went down with a non-contact injury during seven-on-seven drills and needed to be carted off the field.

He slammed his helmet in frustration and had his lower left leg looked at by trainers. If it is a torn Achilles, Patrick will presumably miss the entire season for the second year in a row, last appearing in a game in 2021.

Patrick was competing to be the Broncos’ No. 3 receiver, so this injury opens the door for a player such as Marvin Mims Jr. to have a larger role in 2023.

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