The Denver Broncos have received an early blow to their 2022 season. Tim Patrick, who has been their most productive wide receiver for the past couple of seasons, suffered a season-ending ACL tear during practice Tuesday.
Those who witnessed the injury in person were quick to acknowledge that the injury looked bad before a diagnosis had come in. Patrick was attempting to make a catch over a defensive back when he came down awkwardly on his own leg. The injury was reported as non-contact, and Patrick needed to be carted off the field.
For the past few seasons, Tim Patrick has been the Broncos' best pass catcher. As an undrafted free agent out of Utah in 2017, Patrick was a member of the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers practice squads before landing in Denver. Despite having a myriad of different quarterbacks throwing him the ball since 2017, Patrick was able to put together some pretty solid stat lines. His two best seasons were in 2020 and 2021 where he had a total of 104 receptions for 1,476 yards and 11 touchdowns.
In terms of looking for someone to fill the void Patrick leaves, the Broncos will most likely look to other wide receivers on the roster. Unless more injuries occur to the position, it is unlikely Broncos GM George Paton will make any free agent acquisitions.
The ACL injury bug, unfortunately, struck twice in one day for the Broncos as running back Damarea Crockett also confirmed he tore his ACL during practice.
After being signed to the Broncos' practice squad in 2020, Crockett has bounced back and forth between the active roster and practice squad. He was considered a long shot to make the final roster, but it is still very unfortunate to see him suffer this season-ending injury.