Broncos’ Tim Patrick says he is ‘cleared to do everything’ after missing last season with torn ACL

The Denver Broncos were without wide receiver Tim Patrick for the entirety of the 2022 season after he suffered a torn ACL during training camp. While his sixth season in the NFL was erased, the 29-year-old is moving in a positive direction leading into Denver’s offseason program. He appeared on the “Cut To It” podcast hosted by former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. and relayed that he’s made tremendous strides in his rehab and is already running routes and sprints ahead of OTAs. 

“At this point, I’m cleared to do everything,” Patrick said, via the Broncos official website. “At this point, I’m just doing repetition to get myself ready to play in a game.”

Prior to the injury, Patrick had been one of the more notable finds for the Broncos in recent years. The Utah product went undrafted in 2017 and bounced around with the Ravens and 49ers that summer before signing on with Denver’s practiced squad in late October of that season. 

He stayed on the practice unit throughout his rookie season and was a complementary piece in 2018 and 2019 before enjoying a breakout campaign in 2020 where he totaled a career-high 742 yards and six touchdowns. He followed that up with another 700-yard receiving season in 2021 to go with a career-best 53 receptions. That production led to Patrick signing a three-year, $34.5 million contract extension with the Broncos in November of 2021 that has him under team control through the 2024 season. 

While the ACL tear has been a speed bump in his recent ascent, it does appear like he’s well on the mend. As he told Smith, he’s now working on cutting on his surgically repaired knee and focusing on not thinking about the injury. 

“I feel like that’s going to happen when there’s a defender in front of me,” Patrick said. “It’s either going to be the choice of getting locked up or you’re going to get open for a catch. And I want a catch, so I’m not even going to worry about what I’ve got going on. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get open.”

A healthy Patrick will be a fascinating addition to Denver’s offense that is looking to rebound off of an abysmal season in 2022 and is now led by head coach Sean Payton. Another intriguing aspect of Patrick returning to full strength could revolve around fellow Broncos wideout Jerry Jeudy, who has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason. If Patrick is a full-go heading into the offseason program and is on schedule to be ready for Week 1, it’ll be curious to see if that makes Jeudy more expendable if the right asking price comes along.