The Denver Broncos didn't get their first NFL win of 2019 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They were dealt an even bigger loss on Monday: Linebacker Bradley Chubb was ruled out for the rest of the year with a partially torn ACL.
Chubb had even managed to finish the game before some discomfort led to further testing and revealed the tear. According to ESPN's Jeff Legwold, head coach Vic Fangio admits his absence leaves a notable void in their defense:
“It's a huge loss,” Fangio said Monday. “He's one of our better players, obviously. He's a tempo-setter, a great person, a great leader.”
Fangio added that he was admittedly surprised tat the injury turned out to be as severe as it was.
“He felt good enough to come back in, and actually he played that last series pretty damn well,” Fangio said. “[He] had some really good pass rushes, caused that fumble that [we] weren’t able to get. So he was as surprised, I think, as anybody this morning when he woke up feeling the way he did.”
There is no question that the injury to Chubb deals a devastating blow to a Broncos' pass rush that had already endured its fair share of struggles this season. Vic Fangio will now have to rely on their depth outside of linebacker Von Miller to help pick up the slack.
Denver finally ended their dry spell to start the season by sacking quarterback Gardner Minshew five times. Vic Fangio is hoping that they will be able to build on their performance despite the injury to Chubb. Rookie linebackers Malik Reed and Justin Hollins should have an opportunity to potentially fill the void, however, it will be interesting to see the Broncos attempt to add another player in the mix.
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