Dre’Mont Jones becomes the latest Bronco headed to injured reserve

DENVER — And now, the Broncos won’t have their leading sacker, either.

Defensive end Dre’Mont Jones’ season is over after the Broncos placed him on injured reserve Saturday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news.

Broncos are placing starting DL Dre'Mont Jones on season-ending injured reserve due to a hip injury, making him the league-high 19th current player on IR for Denver, per sources. Broncos have had 25 players on IR this year. Jones is scheduled to be a free agent this off-season.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 17, 2022

Jones suffered a hip injury last Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. He spent the week seeing specialists for consultations on the injury. Surgery is not expected, but the recovery time will end his season.

With just four weeks remaining in the regular season — and a four-game stay on injured reserve required once placed there — Jones will finish the season with 6.5 sacks. That matches his career-high tally, previously established in 2020.

Jones is one of just four Broncos to start all 13 games this season. Now that he heads to injured reserve, the list of every-game starters will be D.J. Jones, Pat Surtain and Kareem Jackson.

He will become the 19th different Bronco placed on injured reserve since the start of the regular season.

Jones’ expiring contract also makes it possible that he has played his last down as a Bronco. Although he is a potential franchise-tag candidate, the Broncos opted not to give any midseason contract extensions.

A year earlier, they finalized extensions with wide receivers Tim Patrick and Courtland Sutton at the Week 11 bye. But this year, the Broncos stood pat.

On Nov. 1, Broncos general manager George Paton identified Jones as “one of our core players.”

“We want him here a long time,” Paton said then. “We’ll just leave it at that.”

But eight days later, when asked about where things stood with him and his roster status, Jones replied, “I view my standing with the franchise as, ‘This is Dre going into Year 4,’ That’s all I can say.”

A moment later, this reporter asked Jones whether he wanted to remain with the Broncos long-term.

“I’m here right now,” Jones responded.

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BUT THE BRONCOS DID officially get edge rusher Randy Gregory and offensive tackle Billy Turner back Saturday. Both returned to practice Wednesday after stints on injured reserve. Gregory is expected to be on a repetition count as he plays for the first time since injuring his knee in the Oct. 2 loss at Las Vegas.

Orlando Franklin reported earlier Saturday that Turner will start at right tackle, with Cam Fleming bouncing back to left tackle.

Per source. Billy Turner will start at RT tomorrow for the Broncos and Cam Flemming will move over to the LT position. Calvin Anderson finds himself as the odd man out. Felt like Anderson played his best game for the Broncos last week against the Chiefs.

— Orlando Franklin (@OFranklin74) December 17, 2022

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