Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick was carted off the field Monday following a non-contact injury, and head coach Sean Payton said the team fears he suffered a serious injury to his left Achilles.
“It’s always difficult to watch,” Payton said, noting he saw Patrick reach for his lower left leg instantly.
Patrick was back with the team following a torn right ACL ended his 2022 season.
On Monday, Patrick went down on the second play of 7-on-7 drills, lined up in a bunch formation to the right. As he stutter-stepped behind the line and then shifted his weight to sprint forward, Patrick went to the grass.
Trainers looked at his lower left leg.
Patrick threw his helmet after he fell to the ground, and frustration and anger would be understandable. Last training camp when Patrick was hurt, quarterback Russell Wilson would later say he sensed a shift in team chemistry because the Broncos missed his leadership and personality.
Patrick was listed as a projected starter on Denver’s depth chart in Payton’s first season with the club.
Patrick, 29, was undrafted coming out of Utah in 2018 and signed with the Broncos. In 55 games (37 starts) for Denver, he has 143 catches for 2,009 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led Denver in TD receptions in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
He started all 16 games he played in 2021, catching 53 passes for 734 yards and five touchdowns.