The hits just keep on coming for the Broncos. Rookie tight end Albert Okwuegbunam suffered a torn ACL during the team’s loss to the Falcons yesterday, a source told Mike Klis of Denver 9 News (Twitter link).
Needless to say, Okwuegbunam will be done for the rest of the season. The Broncos drafted the Missouri product back in April, and this is a tough way for his rookie season to end. He was inactive the first four games of the season, but had started to play a real role on offense in recent weeks. He was playing a solid chunk of the offensive snaps, and in Denver’s Week 7 loss to the Chiefs he had seven catches for 60 yards.
All told, he’ll finish the year with 11 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown in four contests. Noah Fant has been playing through a lingering ankle injury which he again briefly re-aggravated on Sunday, and his health will be even more important moving forward. Jake Butt is currently on IR, which means Nick Vannett will likely see an increase in snaps in Okwuegbunam’s absence. Fortunately, it’s still early enough that Okwuegbunam should be able to make a full recovery in time for the start of his sophomore campaign.
That’s a real shame. Okwuegbunam was having a great rookie season and you could clearly see the chemistry with his former college signal caller. Albert was once touted as the best tight end in his class because of his athletic potential and it appears he’s putting it all together. If he can just improve as a blocker, Denver will have a formidable tandem in Okwuegbunam and Fant.
Unfortunately, their talent will go to waste if the Broncos cannot find an upgrade over Drew Lock. His pocket awareness has not improved and his arm is too inconsistent to cut it in the professional league. With talents like Hamler, Jeudy, Patrick, and Sutton in the receiving corps, Denver should be an inviting organization for upcoming prospects
This is completely hilarious. Of course another injury in Denver. Amazing.
I don’t think we will ever see Albert Chukwueneka Okwuegbunam buying a vowel on ‘Wheel of Fortune’.