The Football Gods haven’t been very kind to the Denver Broncos this offseason. With the season-ending injuries to wide receiver Tim Patrick and linebacker Jonas Griffith, as well as the knee sprain to expensive right tackle Mike McGlinchey, the availability of players to start preseason is slightly concerning.
Now add another player to the list: Brandon Johnson. The wideout's injury occurred in practice this week as he was running a route, slipping as he was coming out of his break. Johnson was able to get up and walk back to the locker room.
Per 9NEWS' Mike Klis, Johnson suffered an ankle sprain.
"Update: Brandon Johnson has ankle sprain. Not as severe as last year’s ankle injury. Expected back in week or two per source. All in all, injury news on McGlinchey/Johnson could have been a lot worse for Broncos," Klis tweeted on Tuesday.
Fortunately, Johnson's injury isn’t as severe as his ankle from last year. He’s expected to be sidelined for up to two weeks.
Johnson joined the Broncos in 2022 after going undrafted out of UCF. He started on the practice squad and eventually made the 53-man roster. In the seven games he played last year, he made six catches on 14 targets for 42 yards and caught a touchdown.
Prior to the ankle injury last year, Johnson had the potential to temporarily replace Patrick in the Broncos' lineup. The same can be said for this year.
Even with praise for young Broncos wideouts like Marvin Mims, Jr., Taylor Grimes, and Nick Williams, Johnson seems to have earned Russell Wilson's trust and that of Sean Payton. Although there are no guarantees, Johnson is on a trajectory to make the Broncos' 53-man roster, provided he can get back on the field soon.
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