Denver Broncos Face Grim Battle In AFC West After Latest Jerry Jeudy Injury

For a team expected to make the playoffs this season, the Denver Broncos must compensate for a ton on offense.

Another WR injury is here to limit the new-look Broncos.

On Thursday, wideout and former first-rounder Jerry Jeudy was carted out of practice after suffering a hamstring injury.

Time To Panic In Mile High

Jeudy is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, and will likely miss the season-opener (Sept. 10) against Las Vegas.

It's safe to say the Broncos and first-year head coach Sean Payton will be in for a rough reboot season.

"It's a hamstring," Payton shared on Thursday. "We'll get an MRI and see where he's at with it."

In a career-best season, Jeudy recorded 67 catches for 972 yards and six touchdowns in 2022-23. He missed six games in 2021 due to an ankle injury. High production numbers flashed Jeudy's potential last season, but a surplus of drops tapered expectations around the former first-round pick.

Jerry Jeudy of the Denver Broncos. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Broncos Suffer Big Losses At WR Position

Jeudy becomes the third big-name wideout in Denver to get injured this offseason.

The first two, KJ Hamler and Tim Patrick, suffered season-ending injuries. The Broncos also lost Jalen Virgil, a second-year wideout, to a knee injury.

Times are grim in Mile High based on this WR shortage.

After losing Jeudy, the Broncos offense relies on Courtland Sutton, Marquez Callaway and Brandon Johnson (slightly injured) as top-three options heading into Week 1.

Callaway comes from mild success in New Orleans the past three seasons. Johnson is a second-year, undrafted wideout out of Central Florida.

Courtland Sutton is the group veteran and a capable high-end WR 2 for the Broncos. Sutton made the Pro Bowl in 2018 when he recorded 78 catches for 1,102 yards and six touchdowns. Tearing his ACL in 2020 slowed the Sutton hype train in Denver.

Last season's 862 receiving yards showed a spark of resurgence for Sutton, expected to be the main focus for opposing secondaries.

Teams must make final roster cuts by Tues., Aug. 29.

The burden for offensive success still falls on Sean Payton and quarterback Russell Wilson.

This offseason, Wilson dropped 15 pounds to improve his mobility.

While a more mobile Wilson could strain opposing defenses, the lack of receiving options will keep the Broncos offense from taking off.

Denver must compensate for the lost offensive production as they battle in the AFC West. The Broncos must duke it out with Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes. Wilson, Sutton and a recovering Javonte Williams in the backfield won't cut it.

Perhaps it's time the Broncos call Chris Ballard for a Jonathan Taylor trade ...