Denver Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders sustained what appears to be a potentially serious lower-leg injury Saturday in training camp. The former third-round pick had his career trajectory halted last spring when he tore his Achilles tendon and missed nearly all of the 2024 season. The injury bug bit again in camp as he was carted off the field and assisted into the Broncos’ facility. He was unable to put weight on his leg, according to 9NEWS in Denver.
Coach Sean Payton did not give specifics on Sanders’ injury in his post-practice media availability, but if there was any modicum of good news, it is that the linebacker did not re-injure his Achilles tendon.
“It’s not his Achilles, but I want to wait and see once the doctors do the MRI,” Payton said.
If healthy, Sanders projects as a top backup at linebacker for the Broncos in his third year as a pro. He and Justin Strnad are the primary reserves behind starters Alex Singleton and Dre Greenlaw.
Denver picked Sanders with the No. 67 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he made an immediate impact as a rookie with 24 tackles and a fumble recovery. He started four games and appeared in all 17 in a strong start to his career. The Achilles injury came the following April and held Sanders out of action until the Broncos activated him off the PUP list in late November 2024. He notched his first career sack on his first play from scrimmage.
Sanders was a college standout at Arkansas after he transferred from Alabama. He won the 2020 national championship as a freshman, launched into a starting role with the Crimson Tide as a sophomore and flourished in his lone year with the Razorbacks as a first-team All-American. Sanders paced Arkansas in tackles (103) and sacks (9.5) as he realized the potential that he carried as a former five-star recruit.