Getty Former Denver Broncos WR K.J. Hamler walks off the field after a failed fourth down play.
On the same day that the Denver Broncos lost wide receiver Tim Patrick to a torn Achilles, they decided to move on from one of their other wide receivers.
According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Broncos are waiving wide receiver K.J. Hamler with a non-football illness designation.
“The transaction is procedural and designed with an eye toward bringing him back. Hamler’s condition isn’t overly serious and he’s expected to miss weeks, not months,” Garafolo said.
Hamler also has the ability to sign elsewhere if he chooses to.
On his own Instagram account, Hamler explained that he was diagnosed with heart irritation, called pericarditis.
“I’ve got a great treatment plan with medicine and am taking a quick break to get this all taken care of so I can get back to doing what I love,” Hamler said. “I will be back on the field – better and stronger – than ever as soon as possible this season! I feel great physically and this is very frustrating for me to deal with.”
Hamler was a second-round pick by the Broncos while John Elway was the general manager in 2020. Denver also selected wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in the first round of the same draft.
“This is not a farewell, this is not a goodbye, this is a see you soon as I take a break for my health.”
Garafolo added, “Putting him on reserve/NFI would’ve knocked him out for the season. Waiving him leaves open the possibility of his return. He has a chance to be back on the field early in the season.”
K.J. Hamler Has Struggled to Stay on the Field
As a rookie, Hamler played his best football in the NFL with Denver hoping that he could turn into a Tyreek Hill type of player. Going for over 380 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games before things went downhill.
The former Penn St. Nittany Lion would be placed on injured reserve before the final game of his rookie campaign with a hamstring injury.
In 2021, Hamler appeared in just three games before suffering a torn ACL against the New York Jets. Hamler would finish his sophomore season with just five catches for 74 yards and failed to reach the endzone.
Last season, Hamler played in just seven games after dealing with hamstring and groin injuries.
Back in February, suffered a torn pec while working out in Arizona on his own. Hamler had surgery and was expected to be ready to go for training camp.
Since his rookie year, Hamler has appeared in just 10 games and caught 12 passes for 239 yards and zero touchdowns.
Denver Needs a Slot WR
On paper, Hamler should be Denver’s slot receiver with Jeudy and Courtland Sutton on the outside, but now the Broncos must find a speedy replacement.
Denver has not had their third wide receiver option go for over 500 yards since Wes Welker did it in 2013 with 778 yards. This was also the same season in which Peyton Manning had the greatest single season ever from a quarterback.
The Broncos drafted another speedy wide receiver in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft with Marvin Mims Jr. with the hope that he can be the replacement for Hamler.
Head coach Sean Payton even brought in some familiar faces that he knew from his days coaching the New Orleans Saints in Marquez Callaway and Lil’Jordan Humphry.
In a full season with Payton calling plays in 2021, Callaway put together a great season while leading the Saints in receiving with nearly 700 yards and six touchdowns. Since Callaway is over six feet tall and plays to his size, the Broncos could keep him on the outside with Sutton and move Jeudy inside with his quick route-running ability.
Humphry on the other hand has struggled to get on the field, but he got most of his playing time in 2021 as well. In 10 games, Humphry had a career-high 249 yards and two touchdowns.
Another candidate for the Broncos could be Kendall Hinton.
Appearing in 12 games last season, Hinton was arguably the most consistent and reliable receiver Denver had. As the No. 3 wideout in 2022, Hinton had over 300 yards receiving and returned three punts.
Hinton might have to make the 53-man roster as a special teamer this season, but with Hamler out, Hinton needs to show in training camp and preseason that he could be the perfect slot receiver for Russell Wilson.
The dark horse candidates are going to be Montrell Washington, Brandon Johnson, and Jalen Virgil. All three have speed and showed sparks last year in training camp and preseason for the Broncos.
Washington seemed to be Wilson’s favorite target in training camp a year ago, but he never caught a pass during the regular season as he was named the primary return specialist.
Johnson played in 14 games last season as the fourth and fifth receiver and had six receptions with one going for a touchdown.
Virgil made an impact in preseason last year by showing his speed and when it came to the regular season, he averaged 37.5 yards per reception and scored a touchdown.
It’s fair to say that Payton and the Broncos will have plenty of good options to choose from if Hamler doesn’t return.