Broncos’ Chris Kuper Done For Season With Ankle Injury

It’s a scary sight to see. A player lays on the ground, medical personnel come sprinting over, and the dreaded (but necessary) cart comes plowing on to the field before you can even determine who the injured player is.

That was the scene during the Denver Broncos loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Starting right guard Chris Kuper went down in a world of pain in the first quarter. Things did not look good as trainers immediately brought out the inflatable leg split.

I saw Kuper after the game with a cast on his left foot. He dislocated his ankle and the injury will effectively end his season. The loss hits the Broncos hard on the offensive line.

“Kup is a great leader for our offense,” Tim Tebow said. “Everybody knows he’s a great player, but just his leadership is huge. That was just something that was very sad to see, and I know that we’ll all be praying for him and his family.”

Broncos tackle Orlando Franklin fell on Kuper from behind causing his ankle to get trapped under bodies.

Kuper’s teammates (past and present) took a knee as he was being attended to.

Kyle Orton played with Kuper during his time with the Broncos, and had nothing but positive things to say.

“I have a best friend in Chris Kuper,” Orton said. “It looked like he went down with a serious injury, which is terrible for him. He’s a great teammate and captain in every sense of the word.”

Russ Hochstein replaced Kuper and he will likely start when the Broncos take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in their first playoff game.

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