Report: Broncos WR Tim Patrick Out for 2023 NFL Season With Torn Achilles Injury
Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacek
Featured Columnist IVJuly 31, 2023
Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick missed the entire 2022 season because of a torn ACL he suffered in training camp and will reportedly miss the 2023 campaign as well because of another serious injury.
Mike Klis of 9NEWS reported an MRI showed "a complete tear" of the Achilles, which will cause the wideout to miss the upcoming season. ESPN's Adam Schefter had previously reported the belief was Patrick would not play this year.
Though he didn't know the extent of the injury at the time, Broncos head coach Sean Payton had told reporters earlier on Monday that the team believed it was an Achilles injury.
"We're evaluating his left Achilles," Payton told reporters when discussing the setback before Schefter's report. "That's what we think the injury is."
This is yet another setback at the wide receiver position for the Broncos.
"For years, injuries have kept Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick apart—and Denver has only seen the core of its wide receiver room on the field together for a portion of the 2021 season," Aric DiLalla of the team's official website wrote earlier this month. "During that stint, the Broncos were still without KJ Hamler, who suffered a season-ending injury early in the year."
Broncos insider Troy Renck reported Patrick "threw [his] helmet and screamed" after suffering the injury Monday, while James Palmer of NFL Network noted he was carted off the field and later seen using crutches.
Expectations were high for Patrick prior to his injury last season given his production in 2020 and 2021.
He combined for 104 catches for 1,476 yards and 11 touchdowns during those two campaigns and would have been given the opportunity to catch passes from future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson last season.
However, the injury prevented him from that chance, and another setback will do the same in 2023.
This means Denver will need to rely even more on its other pass-catchers when it starts the season on Sept. 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders.