SAD NEWS: DENVER BRONCOS ARE SO DEVASTATED AS KEY PLAYER SUFFER BRAIN INJURY…..
What Needs do the Denver Broncos still Need to Fill?
Broncos WR Tim Patrick Details Why KJ Hamler Moved Into His Basement
Everybody needs a friend like Tim Patrick.
Everybody around Denver Broncos HQ is giddy with the return of veteran wideout Tim Patrick. Less than a year after garnering a hard-earned multi-year extension, Patrick suffered a torn ACL in training camp and missed the entire 2022 season.
But he’s back in the saddle, doing his thing and trying to lift his teammates as a true leader. One player whom Patrick has taken a unique interest in helping is his fellow wideout KJ Hamler.
Hamler has experienced his own portion of bad luck as a pro. He’s struggled to stay on the field since arriving as a 2020 second-round pick, and then to add insult to injury, he suffered a torn pec during private workouts back in March, which came with a 4-6-month recovery timetable.
On top of all the injury adversity Hamler has had to handle as a pro, this torn pec — entering a contract year no less — could be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. To avoid any possibility of Hamler’s injury affecting his 2023 outlook, Patrick invited him to live at his home, with his family, in the basement.
On Tuesday, Patrick dished on the details of why he wanted to keep Hamler so close.
“It was my decision,” Patrick said. “I just know how talented he is and how good he is and how bad he wants to be on the field. And just I felt like I’m a good routine guy. And I felt like I just wanted him to get on my routine to help him be able to achieve the goals that he wants to achieve in the NFL. It always starts with your routine and if we both got on the same routine, we could help each other out.”
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Don’t worry too much about Hamler living in Patrick’s basement. According to Tim, his younger teammate is living well at Casa Patrick.
“You make basements sound so bad,” Patrick said with a smile. “It’s a man-cave. He’s living nice. Nicer than he was.”
It’s quite amazing to see Patrick’s generosity and selflessness, especially considering that he has his own obstacles to overcome this year. Fans are starting to get a better understanding of why the Broncos were so devastated by Patrick’s loss last year. It wasn’t just about losing his production on the field, but his influence on the entire locker room.
In 59 possible games, Hamler has only appeared in 23 as a pro, with six starts. He has totaled 42 receptions on 80 targets for 620 yards and three touchdowns.
As perhaps a preemptive hedge against Hamler’s injury preventing him from making an impact this year, the Broncos drafted the speedster Marvin Mims, Jr. in the second round. If Patrick is able to help shepherd Hamler through his injury quickly and effectively, along with all of the treatment he’s receiving from the Broncos’ strength and conditioning staff, the team could end up having a pair of amazingly fast and twitchy wideouts for Russell Wilson to throw to.
Here’s to hoping that Hamler is able to keep his recovery closer to the four-month side of things, and is able to contribute in Sean Payton’s offense. Entering Year 4, he could really use the opportunity to put some good play on tape, even if his second contract doesn’t come from the Broncos.
Man, if everybody had a friend like Tim Patrick, the world would be a far less needy place.
Chad Jensen is the Founder of Mile High Huddle and creator of the wildly popular Mile High Huddle Podcast. Chad has been on the Denver Broncos beat since 2012 and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
