Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday that Denver Broncos' wide receiver KJ Hamler underwent surgery on torn pectoral that he suffered while training on his own. At this point, it's like KJ Hamler isn't even on the roster.
The second round draft pick out of Penn State back in the 2020 NFL Draft has struggled to stay on the field for the duration of his three year career. He battled back from a nasty knee injury this year but was still largely ineffective as an option in the passing game.
#Broncos WR KJ Hamler recently underwent surgery after suffering a partially torn pec while training on his own, per sources. The recovery timeline is four to six months, giving Hamler a chance to be ready right around the start of training camp in late July. pic.twitter.com/EFA9hL4Pu6
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 23, 2023
Many thought that Hamler could have held the Tyler Lockett role for Russell Wilson back in his Seattle days, but that's been far from the case. Hamler apparently suffered a serious injury this offseason while training on his own, and this newest ailment will take 4-6 months to heal.
Depending on how the rehab goes, Hamler could miss regular season games. You have to feel bad for the player at this point. He's got loads of talent and insane speed but might be one of those oft-injured NFL players. Unfortunately, the injury bug hits certain players more than others.
Hamler, still just 23, is set to enter his fourth season in the NFL. He was a draft pick by the John Elway-Vic Fangio collaboration, and I think we're nearing a point where current General Manager George Paton will look to replace Hamler on the roster.
He's got the talent to contribute quite a bit, but the best ability is availability, and Hamler does not have that. Even without this injury, Denver did need to find a more reliable speed threat, but now that Hamler is set to miss at least four months, that issue becomes even more pronounced.
We'll see how Paton and the rest of his front office coworkers goes about trying to infuse the offense with reliable speed going forward.