All hope is not lost on Denver Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders, who suffered an Achilles’ tendon injury in April’s early portion of the offseason workout program.
Addressing reporters following Organized Team Activities last week, Broncos head coach Sean Payton shared a bit of “good news” on Sanders — that, despite the grievous malady, he remains likely to see the field at some point during the 2024 campaign.
“Yes, that happened early in the offseason program. A simple—like they all happen—kind of a jump,” Payton confirmed. “Surgery was done. We’ll have a prognosis. Fortunately, it was an early enough timeline we’ll bring him back. I don’t want to say October, but the good news is the surgery was done, it was clean. There wasn’t anything complex about the injury, and it was just something unusual.”
Modern-day treatment for Achilles’ injuries comes with a four-to-six-month return timetable, putting Sanders on track anywhere from October to December, assuming no setbacks. He’s a candidate to open the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list before being cleared to play.
A 2023 third-round pick, Sanders appeared in all 17 games for the Broncos as a rookie, compiling 13 solo tackles and a fumble recovery across 555 total snaps (297 on special teams) while shuttling between the EDGE and off-ball positions.
“I think he’ll probably end up on the edge, but he has the flexibility. He’s so talented. It’s hard,” general manager George Paton said in February. “It’s kind of like [OLB] Baron Browning. … It’s a blessing and sometimes it’s a curse because he can’t get settled in at one position. Once we left Drew at outside, he finished strong and so we feel good about Drew moving forward.”
Sanders’ injury helps explain Denver’s selection of third-round OLB Jonah Elliss, who should debut as the primary backup to starters Baron Browning and Jonathon Cooper. Behind them on the depth chart are Nik Bonitto, Thomas Incoom, Ronnie Perkins, Durell Nchami, and Jaylon Allen.
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