Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
The start of the 2015 NFL regular season is still about four months away, but the Denver Broncos have already been dealt a huge blow. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, starting left tackle Ryan Clady tore his ACL in practice on Wednesday and will likely miss the entire 2015 season.
Broncos Pro Bowl LT Ryan Clady tore his left ACL during practice Wednesday and is likely to miss the 2015 season, a league source told ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 28, 2015
Obviously, this is a devastating blow to the Broncos’ Super Bowl chances in 2015. Clady is one of the premier left tackles in the game and had the most important job on the entire Denver offensive line. Peyton Manning’s mobility in the pocket will likely be even more limited than usual as he approaches the age of 40, and losing his blindside protector will be tough for the team to overcome.
The Broncos don’t have a solid backup or an obvious replacement to fill in for Clady. Chris Clark stepped in when Clady missed nearly the entire 2013 season with a foot injury, but hasn’t played well enough to just be handed the starting job. The free agent market is also mostly bare, but it makes sense to think the team will add a veteran or two to throw into the competition. The top remaining free agents at the position include Jake Long, Max Starks, and Anthony Collins.
Seth Lassen is a writer for RantSports. ‘Like’ him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @Seth_Lassen.
