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Denver Broncos DE Derek Wolfe hospitalized after suffering seizure-like symptoms

Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe will miss his first regular-season start. (Joe Amon/Getty Images) Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe suffered
Doug Farrar|
Denver Broncos DE Derek Wolfe hospitalized after suffering seizure-like symptoms
Denver Broncos DE Derek Wolfe hospitalized after suffering seizure-like symptoms

Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe will miss his first regular-season start. (Joe Amon/Getty Images)

Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe suffered what the team called seizure-like symptoms on Friday, and was taken to a Denver hospital. According to a statement released by the Broncos on Saturday afternoon, Wolfe "underwent extensive testing and is now being treated accordingly by doctors, who will continue to monitor his condition.”

Wolfe, who became ill on the team's bus on the way to the airport to travel to Kansas City for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, will miss the game. He had started all 11 of the team's regular-season games in 2013, despite a frightening preseason injury against the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 18. In the first quarter of that game, Wolfe was hit high by tight end Luke Willson and low by fullback Michael Robinson, and was taken off the field after being immobilized.

He received a comprehensive series of tests, including MRI, CT scan, and X-rays, and all tests came back negative. It is not known whether that injury, or any other injury had a hand in his recent symptoms. He was diagnosed with a cervical strain at the time and resumed practicing with the team in late August. Playing in 566 total snaps this season, Wolfe has amassed four sacks, six quarterback hits, and 28 quarterback hurries. He has not missed a start since the Broncos selected him in the second round of the 2012 draft out of Cincinnati.

Dr. Thomas Mayer

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Doug Farrar
DOUG FARRAR

SI.com contributing NFL writer and Seattle resident Doug Farrar started writing about football locally in 2002, and became Football Outsiders' West Coast NFL guy in 2006. He was fascinated by FO's idea to combine Bill James with Dr. Z, and wrote for the site for six years. He wrote a game-tape column called "Cover-2" for a number of years, and contributed to six editions of "Pro Football Prospectus" and the "Football Outsiders Almanac." In 2009,  Doug was invited to join Yahoo Sports' NFL team, and covered Senior Bowls, scouting combines, Super Bowls, and all sorts of other things for Yahoo Sports and the Shutdown Corner blog through June, 2013. Doug received the proverbial offer he couldn't refuse from SI.com in 2013, and that was that. Doug has also written for the Seattle Times, the Washington Post, the New York Sun, FOX Sports, ESPN.com, and ESPN The Magazine.  He also makes regular appearances on several local and national radio shows, and has hosted several podcasts over the years. He counts Dan Jenkins, Thomas Boswell, Frank Deford, Ralph Wiley, Peter King, and Bill Simmons as the writers who made him want to do this for a living. In his rare off-time, Doug can be found reading, hiking, working out, searching for new Hendrix, Who, and MC5 bootlegs, and wondering if the Mariners will ever be good again.

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