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Tim Patrick is entering his fifth season with the Denver Broncos, however, he went down yesterday with a leg injury in practice. It was a non-contact injury, which is always worrisome for NFL teams.
Patrick is one of several Broncos players originally expected to play a big part in a Russell Wilson-led offense in the 2022 season. According to ESPN:
"Patrick caught a pass during team drills Tuesday in front of cornerback Essang Bassey, and as Patrick turned to run upfield, his leg buckled and he grabbed his knee as he fell to the ground."
The injury has since been diagnosed as a torn ACL.
Patrick had just signed a three-year deal for $30 million with the Broncos. This type of injury is a real killer for athletes. It will keep Patrick out for a long time and there is always the worry of it reoccuring.
Worryingly for Denver, backup running back Damarea Crockett also suffered a torn ACL yesterday as well.
Broncos WR Tim Patrick out for the 2022 NFL season
No matter at what point it occurs during the season, 99% of NFL players who suffer an ACL injury will miss the rest of that campaign. Even for Tim Patrick, who suffered the injury in the early days of training camp, the season is likely over.
It's one of the worst injuries in the sport. Patrick led the Broncos in touchdown receptions last year and will be devastated. He'll begin rehab sometime soon and will probably be ready for next season, though even that is uncertain.
This is the third consecutive season that the team will be operating without their wide receiver corps at full strength. In 2020, Courtland Sutton suffered a torn ACL.
The following season, K.J. Hamler did the same. Perhaps in 2023, one of the deepest wide receiver depth charts will be at full strength.
What is the recovery time for an ACL injury?
NFL players are sometimes superhuman. They can recover from injuries better than others can. They have the best medical and physiotherapy available and as such this injury is not a career killer. For example, last season, Cam Akers tore his Achilles and was playing again within six months. It was one of the most remarkable recoveries of all time. Deshaun Watson tore his ACL in the 2017 campaign and was back in the 2018 season.
The recovery time ultimately depends on the person. It also depends on how fast they can get surgery to repair the ACL. After that, the average recovery time is about nine months.
Surgery is not always a success, though. According to the Mayo Clinic:
"Successful ACL reconstruction paired with focused rehabilitation can usually restore stability and function to your knee. Within the first few weeks after surgery, you should strive to regain a range of motion equal to that of your opposite knee. Recovery generally takes about nine months."
It is both a long journey in terms of difficulty and length. We wish Patrick and Crockett speedy recoveries.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit ESPN, the Mayo Clinic and H/T Sportskeeda.
