Young Broncos linebacker carted off at training camp practice

The Denver Broncos may have been hit with their first bad news of training camp on Saturday, when backup linebacker Drew Sanders was carted off the field

BY JAKE SHAPIRO

Jul 26, 2025, 11:52 AM Updated: 12:13 pm

Follow on Google News

Watch: Can Jonah Elliss become Denver’s next big pass‑rushing star? — Or does Cooper keep the starting job? | 9 mins

The Denver Broncos may have been hit with their first bad news of training camp on Saturday, when backup linebacker Drew Sanders was carted off the field.

Sanders, 24, figures to be one of the key backups behind inside linebackers Alex Singleton and Dre Greenlaw. Singleton is entering his fourth season in Denver, while Greenlaw was just added this offseason after six standout years in San Francisco. Along with Sanders behind them are Justin Strnad and Levelle Bailey, all likely to factor in for Vance Joseph’s group.

Coming out of Arkansas as a third-round pick, Sanders started four games in his rookie year and played in 17. But a torn Achilles in April of last year kept him sidelined until the last few weeks of the season in 2025. The Broncos were one of the better defenses in football last year and have only really added to that unit in the offseason, but they need to stay healthy. Sean Payton pointed out at the beginning of workouts that the team was remarkably healthy — now they’ll hope to get good news about Sanders.

Payton said after practice that the injury is not an Achilles, like he suffered last year — Payton said Sanders would get an MRI, but that was the only information the coach shared.

Sean Payton speaks about Drew Sanders after he was carted off the field. Mentions they don’t think it’s an achilles injury. #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/3Yvkp2qmqj

— Denver Sports 104.3 (@DenSports1043) July 26, 2025

Drew Sanders left the Broncos practice field on a cart.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) July 26, 2025

Injuries always have a way of striking the position where you’re the most vulnerable, don’t they …

Two starters coming off significant injuries at ILB and now Drew Sanders, a reserve for whom the Broncos had high hopes, carted off at today’s #BroncosCamp practice.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) July 26, 2025

This is a developing story, we will have updates here