Broncos Lose Former Starting Linebacker With Season-Ending Injury

Getty Denver Broncos LB Jonas Griffith celebrates after a play against the San Francisco 49ers.

Training camp injuries have hurt the Denver Broncos already this training camp and they have lost a member of their defense.

According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, Broncos middle linebacker Jonas Griffith suffered a torn ACL and will have season-ending surgery.

Griffith suffered the injury on August 1, during practice.

“It’s unfortunate because he was one of those guys who was rehabbing, too,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said. “I saw him a lot and we’re trying to keep his spirits up.”

Griffith started in eight games last season for the Broncos and played alongside linebacker Joey Jewell before his season was ended short with a foot injury that ended his season.

In 2022, Griffith combined for 46 tackles and three quarterback hits. This season, Griffith was going to have to earn his playing time in the preseason and mainly on special teams.

Griffith joins wide receivers Tim Patrick, K.J. Hamler, and outside linebacker Baron Browning, who have suffered significant setbacks entering the season.

Broncos Added Another LB

Following a workout on August 3, the Broncos went ahead and signed Austin Ajiake to the 90-man roster.

Ajake played for UNLV for five seasons and led the Mountain West conference in tackles during his final year for the Rebels with 132.

After practice on August 3, Payton spoke with the media and said, “We felt like he had good athletic traits. We felt like he could help us in the kicking game. So, we brought him back for a workout with a few other guys, and we thought he did pretty well.”

Ajake will have to fight for that fourth linebacker spot between, Justin Strnad, Drew Sanders, and Seth Benson.

Griffith’s Injury Means More Reps for a Rookie

In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Broncos used a third-round pick on middle linebacker Drew Sanders from Arkansas.

Sanders is going to try and fight his way into the starting rotation with either Jewell or Alex Singleton, but he’ll need to show it during the preseason.

Being named an All-American last season in college, Sanders was also a finalist for the Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker). Totaling up 103 tackles with 13.5 going for a loss, Sanders led the Razorbacks’ defense in nearly every defensive category.

Sanders also added 9.5 sacks to his resume after transferring out of Alabama.

Based off what Singleton has seen in practice so far, it’s fair to say that he’s really high on Denver’s third-round pick.

“The learning curve is tough in the NFL, but he’s a freak. He’s got the size, he’s strong, he’s fast, he’s physical and so it just takes time,” Singleton said. “I think with how much offenses do now with all the motions, shifts, different formations, and all the different rules, linebackers have to learn so many different things, and a lot of colleges only run a couple plays. So, to come in and have to learn all that, it’s tough to digest. But he’s doing it. And, yeah, he should be really good.”

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, project Sanders to be a first or second-round pick and explained that Sanders is a “unique linebacker prospect with the physical traits, athleticism and skill set to be deployed as an inside linebacker or a stand-up edge rusher.”

Charles Davis has even compared Sanders to Dallas Cowboys All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons.