Tim Patrick’s injury overshadows Broncos’ first full-pad practice of camp

ENGLEWOOOD, Colo. —The anguish from Tim Patrick was evident to all who watched the Broncos’ training-camp practice Monday morning.

The moment he fell to the grass with a torn left Achilles tendon all other considerations and expectations for the first full-pad session of 2023 training camp became secondary. Practice paused briefly, and Russell Wilson delayed his remaining two repetitions during the seven-on-seven period so he could assist his fallen teammate to the back of a cart.

But in the brutal world of the NFL, the work goes on. As team medical personnel tended to Patrick, the Broncos moved the line of scrimmage from the 40-yard line on the north half of the field to the one 10 yards south of the 50.

“We check on the player first, and then, the players kind of handle that,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “There is a period of time where you have to get on and begin working again, but it’s always difficult to watch.”

The work continued, but the buzz in the air understandably died when Patrick hit the ground. A quiet pall lingered over Centura Health Training Center.

When the period ended, Payton paused practice. He gathered his team together. Fans began a “Let’s go Broncos!” chant in an attempt to provide an adrenaline shot.

Yet2 while the day brought bursts of intensity, it wasn’t the same.

“It’s a tough break for us as a team, obviously, when you see something like that,” cornerback Pat Surtain II said. “He’s such a great player, a great leader. When you see him go down like that, it sucks in a way.”

Once again, the Broncos saw one of their spiritual leaders in agony. And while the NFL rigors demand that you pick up and move on, for Monday, there was understandable sadness for a beloved friend whose season appears to be over before it began — for a second-consecutive year.

“He just brought all the energy out of those [wide receivers],” Surtain said. “He was very poised, making sure they was on track with their routes, their keys.”

Life without Patrick started again Monday.

My @DenverSportsCom #BroncosCamp report from Monday’s practice:

* Tim Patrick’s injury
* A young running back turns heads
* McGlinchey back on OL
* Practicing incompletions? (But there’s a reason)

Watch now: pic.twitter.com/vtmnoj0uW9

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) July 31, 2023

EYE-CATCHING PLAYER

The first full-pad day often provides more illumination for the running backs. And rookie Jaleel McLaughlin shone bright with a pair of explosive runs due the team periods of practice.

On the first, McLaughlin knifed through a closing hole, demonstrating his burst to accelerate through for what might have been a 60-yard touchdown gallop in a game. Three plays later, he cut back into the open field for a long jaunt, going against the flow of the play.

“He has a little burst, and there’s some toughness to him,” Payton said. “… He’s shifty, and he has good change of direction.”

It starts with being a Griswold.

“He’s the first one here,” Payton said. “I don’t know what time he gets here in the morning, but it’s pretty early. He’s a guy you root for.”

Later, Payton noted that McLaughlin arrives around 5 a.m. — before even the team’s field-maintenance crew goes to work.

But specific to Monday, it was all about taking the speed and applying it to higher-intensity work. The day offered a clue that McLaughlin could make the leap.

“It’s funny. When you put the pads on players for the first day, then you really get an appreciation of how they look in pads,” Payton said. ” It’s hard to measure that when they’re not in pads. Today was that day where you’re just looking around at everyone and how they carry the pads. It’ll be a good stretch for him, though. He’s a guy that it’s really important to.”

PLAY OF THE DAY:

In the shadow of Patrick’s injury, the seven-on-seven period continued. And the standout play belonged to Brandon Johnson and Jarrett Stidham, who collaborated on a gorgeous, over-the-shoulder, 40-yard catch for what would have been a touchdown in game conditions.

NOTES:

• Jonathon Cooper continues to be one of the standouts of training camp. On a play that ended in a Justin Simmons interception, he burst through for a sack of Wilson. Cooper got more work Monday with Frank Clark held out.
• Rookie LB Drew Sanders diagnosed a developing sweep to Javonte Williams and read it perfectly, giving him ideal position for a tackle for loss in game conditions.
• Quinn Meinerz and Lloyd Cushenberry helped set up a double-digit-yardage gallop for Samaje Perine with solid blocks during a snap in the first team period.
• WR Marvin Mims Jr. got some work in seven-on-seven, catching a pass from Wilson during the period. “You are going to see him more and more this week. He’s going to be ramping up,” Payton said. “We’re encouraged.”
• The Broncos again emphasized punt work during the special-teams periods. WR Montrell Washington, who caught a 15-yard pass from Ben DiNucci during the seven-on-seven period, was among those to see extensive repetitions.
• And they practiced incompletions! But there was method to the madness, as the team worked on a specific end-game situation, continuing the work of OTAs and minicamp in which Payton grinds practice to a halt to work on a scenario the team might face in the final seconds of a half.

PARTICIPATION REPORT:

• RT Mike McGlinchey returned to practice.
• Edge rusher Frank Clark and CB Riley Moss did not practice. Clark wasn’t part of the team during offseason work, and Moss missed time late in OTAs and minicamp. Payton referred to the absences of both as a “club decision.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“Of course I’m looking at myself as the best, but I ain’t going to try to get into the politics, get into all the rankings and stuff. I’m just playing my game and sharpening my tools every day, sharpening my skill set, and make sure I keep on getting better each and every week. … I just let my play do the talking. I don’t sort of get into all the external stuff, all the noise outside. I just try to focus on my craft and focus on what I need to do on the field.”” — CB Patrick Surtain, on whether he believes himself to be the NFL’s best cornerback

WEATHER REPORT:

It was a pleasant 72°F when practice began, but the temperature quickly reached 80°F.

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