Another winning Sunday was followed by another disappointing Monday for the Broncos.
Receiver KJ Hamler sustained a season-ending torn ACL in the 26-0 win over the New York Jets and the status of left guard Dalton Risner (foot) and right guard Graham Glasgow (knee) for Sunday’s game against Baltimore remains uncertain.
Hamler’s left knee was hyperextended when he landed on the turf after jumping for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s incomplete pass.
In addition to the torn ligament, coach Vic Fangio said Hamler had “some other stuff,” involved with the injury.
Risner and Glasgow departed in the second half. Fangio did not provide an update, but said neither injury is season-ending.
It continued the Broncos’ early-season trend.
Post-Week 1: After defeating the New York Giants, cornerback Ronald Darby (hamstring) and receiver Jerry Jeudy (ankle) were placed on injured reserve. Darby will miss at least one more game and Jeudy might miss a month-plus.
Post-Week 2: After the win over Jacksonville, inside linebacker Josey Jewell and outside linebacker Bradley Chubb headed to surgery for a torn pectoral and ankle bone spur, respectively. Jewell is out for the year and Chubb may not return until late November.
Monday: After shutting out the Jets, the news on Hamler and non-news on Risner and Glasgow.
All told, the Broncos, entering their by-far stiffest test of the season against the 2-1 Ravens, could be without seven starters.
“(Our depth) is getting tested a little bit early, but we are a deeper team than we have been in the past and I think we’ll be able to absorb it,” Fangio said.
Hamler, a second-round pick in 2020, has never been able to show his ability because of injuries. He was slowed by a hamstring injury in his first training camp that also cost him the season opener. He aggravated the injury last October and missed one game and sat out the finale with a concussion.
Hamler missed nearly all of this year’s offseason program but used the summer to re-focus his training (more running, less weight-lifting) and adjust his diet (more fluids). In three games, Hamler played 88 snaps and caught five passes for 74 yards.
Hamler’s speed made him the Broncos’ home-run threat and his impact was two-fold — long completions and also taking the defense’s attention away from Jeudy and receiver Courtland Sutton.
On passes that traveled at least 16 “air” yards, Bridgewater was 2 of 7 for 58 yards (one drop) when targeting Hamler. His final catch was a 28-yard play (12 yards post-catch) to convert a third-and-9 on the Broncos’ first scoring drive Sunday.
“We’ll miss that,” Fangio said. “KJ is a hard guy to cover. You saw the key third down that we made the conversion on, they were in man coverage and (the defender) was nowhere near him. We’re going to miss him.”
Up next on the depth chart will be Diontae Spencer (24 snaps against the Jets) and Kendall Hinton (four snaps). Tyrie Cleveland, Seth Williams, De’Mornay Pierson-El and Rico Gafford are on the practice squad. Among the veterans available are John Brown (most recently with Buffalo), Dez Bryant (finished last year with Baltimore) and Golden Tate (who played for Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur with the Giants in 2019).
On Monday night, the Broncos signed receiver David Moore off Las Vegas’ practice squad, a source confirmed. Moore had 35 catches and 12 punt returns last year for Seattle, but was cut by Carolina in training camp last month.
Asked if the Broncos will look internally on the roster and practice squad or externally for receiver help, Fangio said: “All of the above. We’ll consider everybody we have here now, take a look at what may be available and make our decisions.”
The Broncos’ depth at offensive line is in better shape. Netane Muti, who started for Glasgow in Week 2, replaced him against the Jets.
“I’m a fan of his; I think (Muti is) an NFL player and can go in there and play guard any time you want and if he has to play some this week, he’ll be ready,” Fangio said.
Rookie Quinn Meinerz replaced Risner, playing the final 25 snaps in his first regular-season offensive appearance.
“(Meinerz) had a handful of plays … some good, some not so good, but kind of the way you expect it to be,” Fangio said. “His (progress) has been steady. If he has to play this week, getting all the reps in practice, he’ll be ready.”
Footnotes. Running back Mike Boone (quad injury on Aug. 12) and cornerback Michael Ojemudia (hamstring injury on Aug. 22) are eligible to come off injured reserve. Fangio said Ojemudia won’t work this week and Boone will “possibly” return to practice. Once a player practices, the Broncos have 21 days to decide whether to activate him or keep on injured reserve for the rest of the year.
