Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick broke his left hand during a 24-16 loss to the Oakland Raiders in Week 1, according to The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala. Denver will place him on injured reserve.
Patrick will be eligible to practice again in six weeks and eligible to play again in eight weeks — if the team chooses to activate him.
NFL teams can bring back just two players from IR per season and the Broncos already have three players eligible to return: running back Theo Riddick (shoulder), tight end Jake Butt (knee) and quarterback Drew Lock (thumb).
Patrick (6-4, 212 pounds) entered the league as a college free agent out of Utah with the Baltimore Ravens in 2017. After brief stints with the Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, Patrick joined Denver’s practice squad midway through his rookie season.
Patrick made the Broncos’ 53-man roster last summer and emerged as a rotational receiver during the 2018 season. He caught 23 passes for 315 yards and a touchdown last year and was poised to see his role expand in 2019.
With Patrick set to miss time, Denver’s backup receivers behind Emmanuel Sanders and Courtland Sutton are now DaeSean Hamilton, rookie Juwann Winfree and return specialist Diontae Spencer.
