The Denver Broncos simply can’t catch a break. The offense continues to struggle while the defense plays at an elite level, but now Denver will be without one of their best pass rushers for several weeks after suffering an injury in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets.
Baron Browning will miss several weeks with injury
The blows keep coming for the Denver Broncos after it was announced Baron Browning will miss several weeks with a hip injury. Browning suffered the injury on a sack attempt on Jets quarterback Zach Wilson late in the third quarter. It’s being deemed as a hip flexor.
Browning’s injury will test the depth of Denver’s outside linebacker room who is already down Randy Gregory, who is on short-term injured reserve, and Aaron Patrick who was placed on season-ending injured reserve after suffering a torn ACL against the Los Angeles Chargers.
As it currently stands, the Broncos’ edge rush depth consists of Bradley Chubb, second-round draft selection Nik Bonitto, second-year edge rusher Jonathon Cooper and Jonathan Kongbo who is currently on the practice squad. With Browning’s injury, the expectation is that Kongbo will be elevated either to the active roster or as a gameday elevation from the practice squad.
Chubb currently leads the team with 5.5 sacks on the year, Bonitto notched a half-sack in Sunday’s loss against the Jets. Cooper has demonstrated the ability to create pressure and be disruptive, and Kongbo has some potential as an edge rusher.
However, the loss of Browning is huge for a defense that has been playing at an elite level through seven games, an aspect that is lost amidst their 2-5 record. Browning amassed 2.5 sacks in his first two weeks as a starter after he replaced Gregory after his injury.
Over the weekend, trade rumors involving Chubb’s name began to circulate with various teams around the league having an interest in the former first-round pick. At this point, even if the Broncos received a strong offer for Chubb and actually had an interest in moving him, it would be unwise considering the injuries and depleted depth at the position as it currently stands.
Outside of Browning’s injury, the Broncos also lost running back Mike Boone to a high ankle sprain which will cause him to miss several weeks as well. On Monday morning, the Broncos signed RB Marlon Mack from the San Francisco 49ers practice squad as the team plans to leave for London late Monday afternoon.
Cody Roark is Mile High Sports lead Denver Broncos Beat Reporter — Cody covers every practice, every home and away game plus community events related to the organization. He also co-hosts The Afternoon Drive with Aniello Piro on Mile High Sports Radio and is the host of the Locked On Broncos podcast. You can follow Cody on Twitter and Instagram @CodyRoarkNFL.
