Broncos Place Matt Henningsen on IR—How it Reshapes the DL Battle

Matt Henningsen's worst fears were realized on Friday.

As Denver Broncos training camp marched ahead, the veteran defensive lineman went down during individual drills and was carted off in severe pain. Henningsen suffered a torn Achilles and has been placed on injured reserve.

Friday's incident came almost exactly one year after Henningsen tore his Achilles during the Broncos' joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers. What happened on Friday wasn't a reaggravation of his old injury; we learned from 9NEWS' Mike Klis that this Achilles tear was in Henningsen's other leg.

Back-to-back season-ending Achilles injuries to each leg. The odds have to be astronomically low.

It's an absolutely heartbreaking development for Henningsen.

Henningsen's Background

Matt Henningsen. — Denver Broncos defensive end Matt Henningsen (91) returns to the field against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Sept 10, 2023, in Denver, Colorado. | Max Siker / IMAGO / Newscom World

A 2022 sixth-round pick out of Wisconsin, Henningsen made the Broncos' 53-man roster in each of his first two seasons. He was waived at the final roster cutdowns in 2024, but re-signed to the Broncos' practice squad.

The 2025 season was going to be big for Henningsen because he was playing on an expiring contract, which made his Achilles injury vs. the 49ers so devastating. However, the Broncos wanted to give him another opportunity, re-signing him to a one-year deal this past March after he had rehabbed from the first injury.

Once again, Henningsen was facing a big make-or-break summer. And he was having a great training camp. It truly is heartbreaking for the just-turned 27-year-old.

What it Means For the D-Line

Denver Broncos defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (97) during Denver Broncos Training Camp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Henningsen had momentum, and if the injury bug hadn't decided otherwise, he would have had a decent shot at earning the seventh and last defensive line spot on the Broncos' 53-man roster. The Broncos like to carry seven D-linemen, even though they usually only dress six on gameday.

With Henningsen out of the picture, it'll be interesting to see whether Kristian Williams or Jordan Miller can make a push. There's also a chance the Broncos could look elsewhere later this month, when the waiver wire gets flooded with casualties of final roster cuts around the NFL, but they've still got a great seven-deep D-line.

The Broncos are still in excellent shape up front. The All-Pro Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, and Malcolm Roach will be the likely starting trio, with Eyioma Uwazurike (who's had an amazing camp), Sai'vion Jones, Tyler Onyedim, and Jordan Jackson the likely names headed for the roster.

Uwazurike was a 2022 fourth-round pick. Both Sai'vion Jones (2025) and Onyedim (2026) were third-rounders, illustrating how the Broncos have prioritized the defensive line and continued to invest in the unit. There hasn't been much of a role for Jackson over the past year, but we know the coaches value him, so he'll be difficult to knock out of the picture for the seventh roster spot.

Difficult, but not impossible. If Williams and Miller can step up their game, and really make some plays in the preseason, anything is could happen. That's why they play the preseason games.

But if Jackson ends up making the roster for the third straight year, if this training camp has taught us anything, it's that this defensive line is just as terrifying as it's been the past two years. And if anything, it could be even better because Roach and Onyedim are excellent run defenders, which wasn't a John Franklin-Myers strong suit.

I had my doubts about whether Roach could offer enough as a pass rusher to earn the starting job vacated by JFM's free-agent departure, but he's been an absolute menace to the Broncos' offensive line, living in the backfield. Saturday's scrimmage was just the latest example, as he notched a would-be sack on Bo Nix.

The Takeaway

The Broncos will be more than okay up front. But that doesn't take away from the bitter pill the team has to swallow with Henningsen suffering the exact same season-ending injury that he did a year ago, just on the other leg.

Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google