The Denver Broncos are hopeful that their offense will be able to get back on track in 2023 with Sean Payton taking over as head coach. After a disastrous 2022 season, where the Broncos had one of the least productive offenses in the NFL, things can’t really get any worse this year.
One of the reasons that there was optimism was that the Broncos were also getting an impactful weapon back offensively. Wide receiver Tim Patrick missed the entire 2022 season after tearing his ACL about a year ago.
After working his way back from that injury, Patrick was ready to reassume his role in the offense. Unfortunately, another injury could potentially end his 2023 season before it even gets underway.
According to James Palmer of NFL Network, via JPA Football on Twitter, Patrick was carted off of the practice field after suffering a lower leg injury. It was a non-contact injury and he was visibly frustrated after the play, which is never a good sign.
There is fear from the Broncos that Patrick’s injury is a serious one. Per Payton, there is a chance that Patrick tore his Achilles, which would be a season-ending ailment.
The last time that Patrick was on the field for the Broncos was during the 2021 season. He caught 53 passes for 734 yards and five touchdowns. It was a nice follow-up to his 2020 when he caught 51 passes for 742 yards and six touchdowns.
That stretch earned Patrick a three-year, $30 million extension in November 2021, but he has been unable to get on the field since. Suffering two devastating injuries has derailed his once-promising career.
If a torn Achilles is ultimately what Patrick suffered, the earliest we would see him on the field is 2024, more than two calendar years removed from his last appearance. The Broncos’ chances of trading Jerry Jeudy or Courtland Sutton decrease exponentially without Patrick in the lineup for 2023.
