The Denver Broncos had high hopes coming into the 2022 NFL season after trading for Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson.
The team’s devoted fans thought that he was the missing piece for an underachieving team that hasn’t reached the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50.
They do have the assets that can lead them to victory, starting with Melvin Gordon III and Javonte Williams in the backfield.
Denver also has a scary receiving corps with Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and Tim Patrick.
With Wilson at the helm, those three players could become 1,000-yard receivers.
Unfortunately, their trio won’t be complete in 2022 after Patrick suffered a torn ACL of his right knee.
His leg buckled while running upfield and he grabbed his knee after.
The immense pain caused him to collapse on the field and he was immediately examined by Broncos trainers.
Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett had no words after that incident.
Nathaniel Hackett said “it breaks your heart” seeing Tim Patrick go down.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) August 2, 2022
Seeing an athlete suffer an ACL injury is depressing because the timetable for a return is indefinite.
While the surgery itself can be over in a matter of hours, the recovery period could stretch for months.
Therefore, there’s no guarantee that Patrick will return to the dominant force he once was.
Jeudy And Sutton Have To Step Up
With Patrick sidelined, Jeudy and Sutton will play bigger roles in the Broncos’ passing game.
The pressure to produce will be harder on Jeudy after he only had 467 yards and zero touchdowns last season.
They are lucky to have a veteran play-caller in Wilson who can navigate them through this challenging time.
Therefore, he might involve KJ Hamler and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam into the passing attack even more.
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