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The Denver Broncos are going to have to endure another season without starting wide receiver Tim Patrick in their lineup, but head coach Sean Payton did have a glint of optimism to share about the 29-year-old’s long-term health.
On Tuesday, August 1, Payton confirmed that Patrick suffered an Achilles tear during Monday’s training camp practice that is expected to sideline him for the 2023 season. But Payton added that the “good news” is it was a clean injury, making it “better than likely” he would make a full recovery after undergoing reparative surgery for the injury.
“So look, yes, he’s got an Achilles tear. I spoke with him last night. Of course, he’s disappointed,” Payton told reporters Tuesday. “He’s tough-minded. He’s a real good leader. And the good news is it’s a clean injury and that is a better than likely [it will be a] 100% recovery. It is pretty clean, relatively, the type of surgery he’s going to have. I don’t have a date for when that’s going to take place, but that’s where we’re at there.”
Unfortunately for him, an optimistic recovery outlook does nothing to help Patrick in the short term. He is now scheduled to miss a second consecutive season with the Broncos after he sat out the entire 2022 campaign with a torn ACL sustained on August 2, 2022 — almost exactly one year prior to his Achilles tear.
The last time Patrick played for the Broncos was the 2021 regular-season finale, about two months after he signed his three-year, $30 million extension through 2024. His injury status raises some major questions about his long-term future in Denver moving forward.
Recovery Aside, Tim Patrick’s Future Remains Unclear
The Broncos’ decision to ink Patrick to an extension made sense when he signed it in November 2021. He had become a productive complement to Courtland Sutton on the Broncos’ receiving corps, recorded a total of 104 receptions for 1,476 yards and 11 scores across the 2020 and 2021 seasons, looking like a solid long-term perimeter weapon.
With Patrick now set to miss another season, though, the Broncos will need to consider between now and the 2024 offseason whether his contract is still worth carrying.
Patrick is scheduled to see his cap hit rise to about $12.97 million for the 2024 season, but the Broncos could create $9.9 million in cap space if they opted to release him either before or after June 1 next year. They would still incur a dead cap hit of about $3.07 million, but it would free up a considerable amount of money for an offseason in which they are expected to be negotiating a long-term contract with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy — who is slated to play the 2024 season on a $12.97 million fifth-year option.
Now, the Broncos could always approach Patrick about taking a restructure or pay cut. They might feel more comfortable keeping him for the final year of his deal if they can lower his cap hit — maybe by adding incentives to compensate for salary reduction — or add more injury protections into his deal, but the financials aren’t everything.
Patrick will be about three months away from turning 31 when the Broncos kick off their 2024 season opener, presumably next September. He will have also not played in a regular-season NFL game in roughly 33 months. Perhaps Patrick’s leadership can keep him in good favor with the organization long enough to earn a comeback shot, but there are reasons to speculate that Denver might not offer him that opportunity.
Rookie Marvin Mims Jr. Becomes Essential for Broncos
Patrick’s season-ending injury is not the only unfortunate shakeup in the Broncos’ receiving room over the past week. The team also waived 2020 second-round pick KJ Hamler with a non-football illness designation, a move that NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo said was “designed with an eye toward bringing him back” once he is healthy.
“Hamler’s condition isn’t overly serious and he’s expected to miss weeks, not months,” Garafolo tweeted on Monday, July 31.
In the meantime, the Broncos are going to need to place a much bigger emphasis on bringing along second-round rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.
Mims, the Broncos’ first pick of the 2023 NFL draft, is coming off a strong three-year career at Oklahoma that saw him average 19.5 yards on 123 receptions. He also exceeded 1,000 yards in his junior season in 2022, building a reputation as an explosive playmaker who is great at gaining separation and attacking the deep field. If the Broncos can harness that, Mims could give them a solution in the slot.
The key for Mims will be making the most of his additional reps in the coming weeks. He should have plenty of opportunities to work with the starters now that Patrick and Hamler are no longer in a position to cut in, but understanding the playbook inside and out and strengthening his connection with quarterback Russell Wilson must be priorities for him. If he can accomplish that, he could be a Day 1 contributor for the Broncos.
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