"What happened man? He’s f**king 31" - NFL fans left dejected upon hearing news of former Broncos star being put in hospice care

By Ian Van Roy

Published Dec 21, 2022 19:04 GMT

Ronnie Hillman at Denver Broncos Media Availability

Denver Broncos fans have had one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history in 2022. Low morale has plunged even lower after fans learned of former running back Ronnie Hillman's battle for his life. The former running back has been placed in hospice care, indicating the battle is not going well.

In response, fans have sent out prayers and expressed dejection in response to the news. Here's a snapshot of what people are saying:

When did RB Ronnie Hillman play for the Denver Broncos?

Hillman was drafted 67th overall in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. The running back was picked by the Broncos and spent the early-mid 2010s with the team.

After being drafted, he put together a quiet season for the team that was built to succeed via Peyton Manning's arm. In his rookie season, he earned 330 rushing yards and one touchdown. In 2013 and 2014, his production continued to hover around the same level. However, in 2015, the running back put together the best season of his career.

He rushed 207 times for 863 yards and seven touchdowns. In a season that was floundering on offense due to Peyton Manning's decline, Hillman and CJ Anderson helped boost the offense just enough to allow the defense to stonewall teams into submission.

CJ Anderson was the main ball carrier in Super Bowl 50. Meanwhile, Hillman found a way onto the field to take part in what still remains to be the most recent playoff game for the franchise. He was able to hoist the Lombardi alongside everyone else after the game.

Super Bowl 50 was his last game with Denver, as the running back played for both the Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers in 2016. The year ended up being the final season that saw him produce on the field, earning 131 total yards on 41 carries. In 2017, he worked in training camp with the Dallas Cowboys but ultimately missed the cut.

According to former teammate Derek Wolfe's radio show via FOX News, the running back is suffering from a rare form of liver cancer and also pneumonia. Wolfe said the running back isn't doing well and asked fans to continue to support the running back.

Brandon Stokley, another former member of the Denver Broncos from the early 2010s, said it was "awful news."

About the author

Ian brings with him more than 6.5 years of sports writing experience to the Sportskeeda NFL team. He played offensive line in middle school and high school, and also made it to the top 0% matchmaking ranking in MUT play in Madden.

He possesses the quality of identifying unique story angles from quotes in press conferences, social media and interviews. He assimilates facts for his stories with a lawyer-like precision and verifies each and every piece of information.

Ian admires Peyton Manning for his ability to beat teams with his mind despite not being the best athlete, and is also a fan of Tom Brady. The Denver Broncos are his favorite team, and their Super Bowl 50 win in Manning’s last game is etched in his memory forever. Bill Belichick is his all-time favorite coach.

He has also grown to admire the Los Angeles Rams mainly because he and Cooper Kupp went to the same college, Eastern Washington University, with both finishing their college careers at the same time.

In his career so far, Ian has had the privilege of exclusively interviewing Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead, Kwity Paye of the Indianpolis Colts and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jamari Thrash. When not writing, he likes to play video games and be outdoors.

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