Broncos Place WR Jalen Virgil on Season-Ending Injured Reserve
Any optimism over a potential 2023 return for wide receiver Jalen Virgil (knee) dissipated Tuesday when the Denver Broncos placed the second-year speedster on season-ending injured reserve, the team announced.
WR Josh Hammond was signed in a corresponding roster move, as reported Monday.
Virgil suffered a torn meniscus during Saturday's preseason loss to San Francisco. The injury — for which he'll undergo corrective surgery — occurred following a 50-yard reception in the closing seconds of the first half.
Undrafted out of Appalachian State in 2022, Virgil had been trending toward making the Broncos' final roster, a primary reserve behind starting receivers Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Marvin Mims.
There was initial optimism that he could be back within six weeks, but the meniscus tear will require a full repair and a months-long rehabilitation process.
"God gives his toughest battles to his toughest warriors," Virgil wrote on Instagram Sunday. "Not the way I envisioned my year starting off, but I believe everything happens for a reason. Adversity introduces a man to himself. Nothing but a minor setback for a major comeback."
Virgil is the second major hit to Denver's wideout room in as many months, after the club lost projected starter Tim Patrick to a torn Achilles at the onset of training camp.
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