Injuries are the worst reality of the NFL, and it's not particularly close. Every team deals with injuries over the course of the season, but the last thing you want to hear about in training camp is that a player was "carted off" the practice field. Unfortunately, that's exactly what just happened for Denver Broncos third-year linebacker Drew Sanders.
Sanders, a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is about the last player on this roster who needs another injury to deal with right now. Sanders missed most of last year with an Achilles injury and has been back and forth as a linebacker and edge rusher.
Just a couple of days ago, it was reported that Sanders was looking explosive attacking downhill at Broncos training camp. Now, everyone's holding their breath that whatever caused him to be carted off the practice field is not going to be a big deal, but a cart is never a good sign.
Drew Sanders carted off the field at Denver Broncos training camp
Drew Sanders got taken into the locker room on a cart.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) July 26, 2025
The Denver Broncos are already dealing with a lot at the linebacker position, so having any sort of long-term injury to Sanders would be detrimental. Sanders is a promising talent at the position with size, athleticism, and pass rush ability to play a unique and versatile role for a defense.
In a worst-case scenario, he's a really valuable asset to have on special teams.
The Broncos are holding out hope that he can still be a starter in the NFL, but he's got to beat out Alex Singleton for a job next to veteran Dre Greenlaw this offseason. This is just a really unfortunate setback for a promising young player, and you can only hope that he manages to get back on the field sooner rather than later.
Dre Greenlaw suffered an injury scare earlier this offseason with a pulled quad. Alex Singleton is north of 30 years old coming off of a torn ACL. Justin Strnad is back for depth, but to say the team has struggled with player injuries at linebacker would be an understatement.
Sanders getting hurt would likely pave the way for 2024 UDFA Levelle Bailey to get more reps and potentially even looks with the top defense. Bailey is a talented player who seems to always be around the football.
As concerning as getting carted off is, it's not always a sign of something season-ending. Just a few days ago, Justin Fields was carted off the field at Jets training camp and was back out there the next day with a dislocated toe. We certainly hope this is something Sanders can bounce back from quickly.