Sean Payton Dishes on Facing Ex-Broncos WR Ahead of Jaguars Game

The Denver Broncos will see a familiar face on Sunday when the Jacksonville Jaguars come to town.

Dec 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Tim Patrick (17) runs after the catch against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half at EverBank Stadium. | Travis Register-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos will be seeing a familiar face on Sunday when the Jacksonville Jaguars come to town. Former Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick now calls Jacksonville home, and he'll be returning to Empower Field at Mile High.

Patrick's Broncos story dates all the way back to 2017, when he signed as a practice squad receiver. By 2018, he'd begun to get some action on offense, and that continued through 2019, but it was the pandemic season of 2020 that saw him emerge as a bona fide starter.

After producing back-to-back seasons of 700-plus receiving yards, the Broncos rewarded the former undrafted free agent with a lucrative three-year extension. Alas, it didn't turn out the way the team or the player envisioned, as he then suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back summers.

Just as Patrick was getting past those two devastating injuries, salary-cap hell had descended on the Broncos due to the Russell Wilson release, and the veteran wideout was the last casualty before the regular season kicked off.

On the doorstep of the season-opener, the Broncos released Patrick after failing to find a trade partner. Broncos head coach Sean Payton is happy to see Patrick thriving with the Jaguars.

“I love it... He just was a pro. Great to be around, and we were devastated… I think it was like one of the first reps of minicamp," Payton said of Patrick on Wednesday. "I texted him last year in Detroit and then lost track."

Every Monday, Payton's assistants put together a touchdown reel from the weekend's games, and Patrick has popped up on the film six times since the Broncos moved on from him.

"Then you see him showing up. You see, periodically, on this touchdown reel," Payton said of Patrick. "You always worry about the ones that got away."

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Sep 26, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick (81) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Patrick's Post-Broncos Path

Patrick spent the 2024 season with the Detroit Lions, appearing in 16 games with nine starts. He didn't have a ton of production, but it was his third-best statistical season as a pro.

The Lions re-signed Patrick to a one-year, $4 million deal this past spring — then promptly traded him to Jacksonville in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. He's appeared in 13 games this season with the Jaguars, with two starts, catching 13 passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns.

At 32 years old, Patrick is getting a bit longer in the tooth, but it's good to see him still out there doing his thing. When he steps onto Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, he'll be like the Pied Piper, with his former teammates gathering around, happy to see him.

Is Patrick in the "ones that got away" category? I doubt Payton is losing too much sleep over it, mostly because of the two injuries and the player's age.

But Patrick was always a great leader and team player, and it's just unfortunate that he never got to reward the team that rewarded him with that $34.5 million extension back in 2021. The injury bug had different plans for the former Utah Ute.