Denver Broncos: Troy Fumagalli heads to IR, will miss all of 2018

Denver Broncos rookie tight end Troy Fumagalli will have to wait until the 2019 season to make the team, as he’s heading to season-ending IR.

The Denver Broncos are close to finalizing at least an initial 53-man roster.

That roster will not include Troy Fumagalli, the team’s fifth-round pick, and rookie tight end.

Fumagalli has been dealing with a sports hernia injury and has been held out of the majority of training camp. The Broncos would have loved to have seen him on the field this preseason, as offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave has characterized the tight end position as ‘bleak’.

So, at least we know one of the positions the Broncos will be scouting the waiver wire for upgrades at in the coming hours.

For now, Denver is keeping three tight ends in Jeff Heuerman, Jake Butt, and Matt LaCosse.

The team also kept extra players on the offensive line, at quarterback, and at inside linebacker.

Fumagalli was one of the best tight ends in college football over the past three seasons, and on paper, gave the Broncos a stellar quintet of former Big Ten tight ends.

Unfortunately, the team and fans will have to wait to see him in game action until 2019, and that is becoming a disturbing pattern at this position.

Jeff Heuerman was selected in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and tore his ACL in rookie minicamp. He wasn’t able to play until 2016.

Jake Butt tore his ACL before the 2017 NFL Draft, and was drafted in the fifth-round by the Broncos but didn’t play a single snap as a rookie.

Now in 2018, Fumagalli won’t play.

For those wondering about the IR/designation to return status, that won’t work in this case because teams can only use that on players who are initially added to the active 53-man roster.

Fumagalli obviously does not qualify, and his season is over.

The Broncos will likely be looking for depth at this position very soon.