Sports can be incredibly cruel. Tim Patrick became the latest example of this fact Tuesday.
The Broncos receiver suffered a torn ACL in Tuesday's practice and will miss the 2022 season, ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork Insider Ian Rapoport and ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork's James Palmer reported.
Patrick made an acrobatic catch during a session and came down awkwardly, suffering the injury and needing a cart to take him off the field, according to multiple on-site reports.
Patrick underwent an MRI afterward, and it was revealed his 2022 season was finished before it ever really began.
Running back Damarea Crockett also suffered a torn ACL on Tuesday and will miss the season.
Patrick was poised to build upon what had already become an unexpected success story for the receiver who entered the ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøas an undrafted free agent and made his way to Denver via the Broncos' practice squad in 2017. Patrick quietly worked in the shadows, earning his first regular-season playing time in 2018 and breaking out in 2020 with 51 catches, 742 yards and six touchdowns.
He proved that season wasn't a fluke by posting nearly identical numbers in the following season, which was enough to convince Broncos general manager George Paton to sign the Utah product to a three-year, $34.5 million extension in November.
The 2022 season would have been Patrick's first under his new contract, which provided him with a significant pay raise and raised expectations for him from a pleasant surprise to a player Denver expected to contribute. Instead, he'll spend 2022 recovering and rehabilitating his knee with a focus on 2023.
