Calvin Throckmorton Takes Five Stitches—and Keeps Delivering for Broncos

The second-to-last day of Denver Broncos training camp was lit.

Last Tuesday — Day 13 of Broncos camp — the offense and defense went at each other with gusto. Tempers flared. Emotions ran hot.

Bo Nix was taken to the ground for the second time in camp, further inflaming the situation. There were multiple fights that broke out among teammates, and the final one was a melee of sorts that culminated in a big dogpile.

At the bottom of that pile was veteran offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton, who got to his feet bleeding from his forehead. He was escorted to the locker room by Broncos trainers, but the next day, he was back at his post playing center with the first-team offense, with a big bandage above his left eye.

We learned from The Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson that the gash to Throckmorton's forehead actually required five stitches.

“It was the usual scrum with bodies flying in there,’’ Throckmorton said via Tomasson. “I knew pretty quickly I was going to need some stitches. Obviously, I wish it didn’t happen but sometimes football is football and those things happen.”

No worse for the wear, Throckmorton went on to start at center on Friday night against the Green Bay Packers in the Broncos' second preseason game of the season. For an exhibition game, it was a big moment because of Bo Nix's return to the field for the first time since fracturing his ankle in the playoffs.

Throckmorton was the man trusted to snap the ball and help protect Nix as the offensive line's pivot. Just as he'd done in camp and the first preseason game, Throckmorton acquitted himself well against Green Bay, showcasing his veteran competence and versatility.

Injury Creates Opportunity

Bo Nix. — Calvin Throckmorton prepares to snap the ball to Bo Nix against Green Bay. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Throckmorton has been with the Broncos since 2024, but he's lived the life of a bubble player, bouncing back and forth between the practice squad and the active roster. This summer, though, the Broncos faced a crisis in training camp when all three of their top centers went down with injuries over the course of a week.

Luke Wattenberg was injured on Day 3 of camp, which also happened to be the first padded practice. Only a few days later, his backup, Alex Forsyth, went down. And about a week after Wattenberg's injury, third-team center Michael Deiter suffered a season-ending quad injury.

This forced the Broncos to make some snap decisions, no pun intended. They asked Throckmorton to play center, and he obliged. He began with the second-team offense, but when Deiter went down, Throckmorton was vaulted to the first team.

Neither Wattenberg nor Forsyth have returned to full practice since their respective injuries, missing both preseason games, which has given Throckmorton an extended audition playing with the starters. It's one thing to accept the challenge and answer the bell in the team's hour of need, but he has played very, very well.

“It’s been fun,’’ Throckmorton said via Tomasson. “It’s been great to have the opportunity to show my flexibility to continue to improve and develop at that position as well as guard. I’ve been trying to take it in stride and try to get better every day.”

Throckmorton's Background

Calvin Throckmorton. — Calvin Throckmorton prepares to snap the ball as the first-team center against Atlanta. | David J. Griffin / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Throckmorton, 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, went undrafted out of Oregon in 2020. He signed with the New Orleans Saints as a college free agent, whose head coach was still Sean Payton at the time.

After three years with the Saints, Throckmorton bounced between the Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans. But after playing his one year with the Titans, Throckmorton reunited with Payton in Denver.

As a pro, Throckmorton has appeared in 58 games with 27 starts. As a Bronco, he's appeared in 12 games but is yet to start, which is symbolic of Denver's remarkable good fortune when it comes to the offensive line staying healthy, with only a couple of exceptions over that span.

Roster Outlook

Entering his seventh season, the 30-year-old Throckmorton finds himself still in a depth role, but it's possible that the worm could be turning. The Broncos expect Wattenberg back well in time for the regular-season opener, but Forsyth's outlook is a bit more clouded.

A former sixth-round pick, Forsyth's place with the Broncos could be in jeopardy given how well Throckmorton has played at center. When it comes to the roster math, Throckmorton may not have a draft pedigree, but he can play multiple positions on the interior offensive line, whereas Forsyth is a center-only player.

With commitments to Alex Palczewski and rookie fourth-rounder Kage Casey, it's hard to see the Broncos keeping another swing guard on the 53-man roster out of camp, but if the team wants to kill two birds with one stone and keep a player who could offer center and guard depth, Throckmorton would be that guy.

The Takeaway

I hope it works out for Throckmorton. And the Broncos had better think long and hard before August 30's roster deadline, because if they waive him in hopes of re-signing him to the practice squad, I seriously doubt he'd go unclaimed this time.

The NFL is always offensive line-needy, and Throckmorton has put together some impressive tape this summer running a unit that features two All-Pros up front.

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