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The Mysterious Danny Trevathan Knee Replacement

By Sayre Bedinger

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What in the world did Denver Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan mean by this statement?

“I’ve got someone else’s kneecap.”

This was my initial reaction:

That’s just a little bit scary for a player to have someone else’s knee, so I had to dig a little bit to figure out if that was even possible for a player to come back and play from such an injury. As it turns out, there were plenty of places to turn for clarification, thankfully.

Another report from FanDuel’s Will Carroll documents some commentary from physicians and what it would mean for Trevathan to have actually had a knee replacement. In short, he probably wouldn’t be playing in the NFL.

“So did Trevathan even have an opportunity to have a first-of-it’s-kind procedure? According to one NFL team physician who could not speak on the record due to NFL rules, the answer is simple: no. “A patellar transplant? I think [Trevathan] skipped medical classes back at Kentucky,” he joked. The doctor explained that there’s an institutional resistance to unproven procedures in sports. “He’s too good to experiment on,” he explained.”

June 9, 2015; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos outside linebacker Danny Trevathan (59) warms up before the start of mini camp activities at the Broncos training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

I’m not sure if Trevathan was trying to be funny, if he was trying to scare the life out of Broncos fans, or if he just feels like he’s got a brand new knee — perhaps all three — but whatever the case, he’s making his way back to the field for individual drills after a year riddled with injuries that started in training camp and culminated with about one full game’s worth of play in 2014.

It was a hard year for the Broncos’ budding star at linebacker. After a 2013 season in which he was arguably the defensive MVP for a team that went to the Super Bowl, expectations were high that he would be a returning leader and one of the best players again on a star-studded defensive unit.

Things don’t always go according to plan, however.

Trevathan’s injury may have been a major blessing in disguise for the Broncos, who were able to discover another starting linebacker and stud in Brandon Marshall, who was on the practice squad the year Trevathan was tearing it up. He says the two of them have formed a special bond rehabbing, comparing their pursuit of a return to that of Chris Harris and Von Miller last year.

“It’s always reassuring and it’s positive. Von and Chris were together and you saw how they came back,” Trevathan said.

But it’s more than just coming back from injury. It’s coming back and being the dominant players they were before. Marshall is going to be playing this season with screws in his foot, and Trevathan will be playing with a surgically repaired (basically replaced) knee cap. It’s a bit scary for Broncos fans, but the thought of Marshall and Trevathan at full strength is scary for opposing teams.

“It’s an exciting thing,” said Trevathan. “We’re two capable players and we’re two of the best linebackers in the league. It’s time for people to start noticing that. We came in with kind of a chip on our shoulders. Us lining up next to each other is just extra motivation. I look into his eyes and he looks into my eyes and we both know that we both have the ability to play and be the best out there. It’s time for us to make a name for ourselves.”

A Broncos defense with Trevathan and Marshall is exciting, even if they had to be put back together this offseason. These guys are phenomenal players, ones the Broncos’ scouting department did plenty of digging to find.

Next: Brandon Marshall to Start Running

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