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Denver Broncos: Team suffers another season-ending injury

By Travis Wakeman

DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 03: Le'Veon Bell #17 of the Baltimore Ravens runs with the ball against Alexander Johnson #45 of the Denver Broncos in the first half at Empower Field At Mile High on October 03, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 03: Le'Veon Bell #17 of the Baltimore Ravens runs with the ball against Alexander Johnson #45 of the Denver Broncos in the first half at Empower Field At Mile High on October 03, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) /
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The bad news just continues to roll in for the Denver Broncos, who have now dropped their last three games.

Even with the team getting out to a 3-0 start on the season, the injuries that the team was experiencing were becoming of primary concern. Those injuries have now snowballed into a major problem and the team doesn’t seem equipped to handle all of them, among other things.

Now, the Broncos have suffered another key loss on the defensive side of the ball as a torn pectoral muscle will end the season for Alexander Johnson. With Josey Jewell also out for the season, the Broncos’ starting inside linebackers will not play again this year.

That leaves Justin Strnad and Micah Kiser to man those positions going forward, but the team may need to crank up the activity for third-round pick Baron Browning, who has seen action mostly on special teams thus far this season.

Either way, the team likely needs to make a roster move at this position.

Through six games, Johnson was second on the team with 32 tackles. He also had two sacks and a fumble recovery, but what fans will likely remember most were the two potential interceptions he flat out dropped in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Johnson is in the final year of his contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent following the season. It is possible he has played his last snap in Denver.

Undrafted out of Tennessee, Johnson is in his fourth year with the Broncos where he has gone from a practice squad player to a sure-fire starter. He will be 30 years old in December.

For the Broncos, it is the latest in what has been a year full of brutal injuries. Below is a list of players the team has either lost for the season or is still waiting to get back:

  • WR DaeSean Hamiltion, out for season
  • TE Albert Okwuegbunam
  • OL Brett Jones
  • WR K.J. Hamler, out for season
  • LB Natrez Patrick
  • CB Essang Bassey
  • WR Jerry Jeudy
  • OL Cody Conway
  • CB Duke Dawson
  • LB Josey Jewell
  • RB Le’Vante Bellamy
  • DB Mike Ford
  • LB Bradley Chubb
  • RB Adrian Killins
  • CB Michael Ojemudia
  • LB Jonas Griffith

The Broncos will hobble into Cleveland to face the Browns this Thursday night in a game between 3-3 teams that are going to be desperate for a win.

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The Broncos will likely start Strnad and Kiser at the linebacker spots but the team should absolutely see what is available to improve this part of the roster, which has been a weakness for quite some time.

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