Broncos receiver Tim Patrick goes down with another injury

UPDATE: Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick tears Achilles tendon, will miss entire 2023 season

One year after tearing ligaments in his right knee during training camp and missing the entire 2022 season, Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick was carted off the field Monday after hurting his other leg. 

Preliminarily, the injury appears to be to his Achilles tendon, according to NFL.com. That tendon attaches the lower calf to the heel and allows the foot to push off the ground. 

"It's a tough break for us as a team... He's such great player, a great leader. When you see him go down like that, it sucks," said Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II after practice. "But I know he's going to bounce back. He's going to recover. He's going to take rehab and take it the right way."

CBS News Colorado's Romi Bean described what happened most recently in a social media post: "Today he injured his left leg in a non-contact injury coming off the line. Looked like trainers were checking his lower leg/ankle area. He was carted off and needed crutches to get into the facility." 

Patrick underwent surgery to repair the ACL in his right knee after collapsing while running a route on Aug. 2 last year.   

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Patrick signed a new three-year deal with the team during the 2021 season. The Broncos also signed an extension with wide receiver Courtland Sutton at the same time.

Denver kicked off its 2023 training camp Friday. It is the first one with new head coach Sean Payton and the team's new ownership. 

"It's always difficult, especially a guy like that who's a leader, who's coming off pretty much an entire year of rehabilitation," Coach Payton told reporters. "It's difficult for his teammates, for all of us. When I got hired here, he was one of the guys I saw every day because he was rehabbing last year's injury. So that's what makes it more difficult."

Patrick was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens in May 2017. He joined the Broncos practice squad in October of that year. 

Another wide receiver, KJ Hamler, has been injured during each of the past two NFL seasons. Late Monday, it was learned he was taking time off this year to deal with a heart issue.