Broncos receiver K.J. Hamler endures yet another injury setback

Unfortunately for K.J. Hamler, surgeries and injuries have defined his NFL career far more than big plays. And in the wake of a second consecutive season curtailed early by injury, the 2020 second-round pick was felled by yet another issue incurred during training.

As first reported by NFL Network, Hamler suffered a partial tear of his pectoral muscle, necessitating surgery.

#Broncos WR KJ Hamler recently underwent surgery after suffering a partially torn pec while training on his own, per sources. The recovery timeline is four to six months, giving Hamler a chance to be ready right around the start of training camp in late July. pic.twitter.com/EFA9hL4Pu6

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 23, 2023

If there is good news for Hamler, it comes in the fact that it happened in the offseason. The projected recovery timetable is four to six months. On the short end of that timetable, he would be ready for training camp. But if his rehabilitation is on the long end, his availability for the start of the regular season would be in jeopardy.

Either way, Hamler will miss OTAs. And with a new head coach, a new scheme and an entirely new coaching staff, those are valuable repetitions he will lack as he attempts to prove his worth once again.

Injuries have defined Hamler’s career since before it began. A hamstring injury he suffered when training for the 2020 NFL Combine kept him from running the 40-yard dash there.  Another hamstring injury sidelined him during his first training camp; a third hamstring problem that year felled him in Week 4 against the New York Jets. But he still managed to play 13 games that season, posting career-high tallies of 30 catches, 381 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Hamler looked poised for a breakout in his second year, but in Week 3 against the Jets, he suffered a torn ACL and a dislocated hip while going up for a pass. The injuries ended his season and still limited him nearly a year later. He worked his way back during training camp and played in Week 1 at Seattle, but sat out the following game due to residual pain and issues with the injuries.

Hamler managed to play 6 consecutive games from Weeks 3-8. But in practice after the Week 9 bye, he suffered yet another hamstring injury, ending his season.

For his career, Hamler has missed more games (27) than he’s played (23). His perseverance in trying to work back resulted in him earning the Broncos’ Ed Block Courage Award for 2022.

And now, that resilience and resolve will be tested yet again.

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