Denver Broncos: Jamal Carter is out for the 2018 season

Denver Broncos second-year safety Jamal Carter is out for the 2018 season after tearing his hamstring in the Broncos’ preseason opener…

The Denver Broncos found a gem in undrafted free agent safety Jamal Carter in 2017 out of the University of Miami.

Carter was given the highest signing bonus of any Broncos undrafted rookie and wound up making good on the investment by making the 53-man roster and playing a critical role on special teams.

Unfortunately, Carter’s 2018 season is over before it will even really get started. He reportedly tore his hamstring in the preseason opener and will miss the 2018 campaign:

Preseason injuries are awful. Season-ending preseason injuries are the absolute worst.

Carter, as mentioned previously, played a key role for the Broncos on special teams in the 2017 season, playing in all 16 games.

He didn’t play a major role defensively, but it was clear at training camp and in his limited time in the first preseason game that he was going to probably play a bigger role on defense in 2018.

The only positive to glean from this is that the Broncos now have a chance to keep Carter and another player on the roster, a luxury they might not have otherwise had.

Carter will be back stronger in 2019 for the Broncos and the team can afford to be patient as their safety depth is excellent with Darian Stewart, Justin Simmons, Will Parks, and Su’a Cravens likely taking the top four spots this season.

Carter would have been the fifth, in all likelihood.

The really unfortunate part about this was the injury happened on a brilliant tackle for loss for Carter, a play where he showed off his range and ability to finish plays.

Carter is a really tough player, like a missile on the field with his size, strength, and speed. He will be missed for the Broncos especially on special teams.

The team has not officially placed him on injured reserve but will likely make a corresponding move before practice on Monday.