The Denver Broncos are seeking to rebuild after a disastrous two-season run with Russell Wilson at quarterback. Wilson is gone, and the team selected Bo Nix as their quarterback of the future with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The new-look Broncos are surrounded by hope, but they may already be dealing with injuries.
While OTAs begin across the league, some players have been with the team since April as part of their different offseason programs. Second-year linebacker Drew Sanders was on the Broncos’ roster, but he received a devastating injury update on Monday night that implies he may miss the whole 2024 season.
“Sources told ESPN on Monday night Sanders suffered a torn Achilles early in the team’s offseason program in mid-April, as first reported by 9News in Denver.” Sanders underwent surgery to repair the damaged tendon, and his recovery time is projected to be between six and nine months. – Jeff Legwold of ESPN.
Broncos dealt a severe blow way ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Sanders tore his Achilles while participating in the Broncos’ offseason program in April, and while he got surgery right away, recovery from this ailment takes some time. There’s a chance he’ll recover and return later in the season, but if Denver has nothing to play for, there’s no reason to rush him back on the field.
Sanders was taken in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, and he had a solid rookie season as he became increasingly involved in their defence (24 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FR). Sanders had hoped to play a larger part in Denver’s linebacker corps this season, but those intentions have been put on hold following this recent injury development.
With Sanders sidelined, the Broncos will likely start the season with Alex Singleton and Cody Barton at inside linebacker. However, without Sanders, their depth looks a little thin, so the Broncos head office may want to look into the free agent market to see if they can find someone else to fill in and round out the position.
Achilles injuries are always cruel, and it’s unfortunate to see Sanders sidelined with this condition in a year when he was looking to take the next step forward. The Broncos should be able to get by without him in the short future, but this has created a significant stumbling block in Sanders’ growth, and ideally he will be able to fully recover and pick up right where he left off when he returns to the field.
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