Multiple reporters have noted that Denver Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy was carted off the practice field in a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams. Broncos beat reporter Zac Stevens noted that Jeudy immediately pulled up after running full speed during a play and grabbed his hamstring.
Stevens reported that trainers then helped Jeudy walk to the cart, which he left the field on. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that it appears to be a hamstring injury.
In a post-practice press conference, Broncos head coach Sean Payton confirmed that Jeudy suffered a hamstring injury and will undergo an MRI.
“It’s a hamstring,” Payton said. “We’ll get an MRI, and see where he’s at with it, but nothing more [to share].”
Jerry Jeudy Carted Off Practice Field
NFL Network reporter James Palmer posted a summary of events on X after Jeudy’s injury.
#broncos WR Jerry Jeudy took an end around and then grabbed his right upper leg. Looked like his hamstring. He was visibly upset. The cart came out to get him. He had trouble getting on in and teammates came over before he was taken inside. He needed help getting off the cart and…
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) August 24, 2023
The Broncos have had poor injury luck in their WR room over the past two seasons. Tim Patrick missed all of the 2022 NFL season with an ACL tear, and KJ Hamler played in only one game in 2021 and 2022.
Patrick tore his Achilles late last month, and around the same time, Hamler revealed that he has a heart condition and will need to take time away from the game.
The addition of Oklahoma WR Marvin Mims Jr. may have looked like a luxury selection at the time, but it’s turning out to be necessary for him to contribute immediately. Courtland Sutton, Kendall Hinton, and Marquez Callaway are the other receivers in the room.
Losing Jeudy for any significant period of time could be a devastating blow for a Broncos offense that was a disaster a season ago. He’s one of the most natural separators in the NFL and is by far the most explosive route runner on the team.
Payton was quick to say that he wouldn’t speculate on the severity of the injury until they receive further information.
“It would be way too early to say,” Payton said. “Typically in our system, too, we’re bringing receivers in and out. He plays ‘Z,’ he plays in the sub position for us. Hopefully it’s not anything long term.”
Losing him would take away Denver’s receptions, receiving yards, and yards per catch leader. But his particular skill set would be incredibly valuable in an offense that emphasized the ability to uncover in tight spaces.
Fantasy Impact of Potential Jeudy Injury
Jeudy has been a riser in fantasy football ADP over the past couple of months, as there’s been a growing belief that he could be the main target for QB Russell Wilson this season in a much-improved offense.
The talent level has always been there for Jeudy to be a fantasy star, but poor QB play has held him back from reaching his true ceiling.
Unfortunately, with the news that he was carted off of the field with an apparent hamstring injury, it looks like fantasy managers will again be left waiting for a potential breakout campaign.
If the talented WR is forced to miss significant time into the 2023 NFL season, he will plummet down draft boards and may end up going off the board in one of the final rounds of your drafts, depending on the severity of the injury.
As for the fantasy fallout for the rest of the offense, Sutton obviously should see an uptick in work if Jeudy misses significant time. With Patrick out for the year with his own injury, plus the release of Hamler, we could see Sutton bounce back in a big way from a fantasy football standpoint.
The name to keep an eye on in the later rounds of your drafts as a beneficiary to Jeudy missing time is Mims. The rookie WR out of Oklahoma has incredible athleticism to be a deep threat in this offense, and he could see a substantial target share right out of the gate.
This is a developing story. We’ll have more information as it becomes available.
