Denver Broncos wide receiver KJ Hamler has suffered another brutal injury setback.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Thursday that Hamler recently underwent surgery after suffering a partially torn pectoral muscle while training on his own this offseason, per sources informed of the situation.
The initial timeline for recovery is four to six months, giving Hamler a chance to return for training camp.
It’s the latest injury for the former second-round pick out of Penn State.
Before his rookie season kicked off in 2020, the wideout suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the season opener. He missed another game due to a hamstring issue and ended the season on IR after a concussion.
From there, the injuries only got worse.
Hamler suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 of 2021, knocking him out for the rest of the season. Last November, he hurt his hamstring in practice and later suffered a setback, missing the final nine weeks of the campaign.
In three seasons with the Broncos, the speedster has played in just 23 games, earning 42 catches for 620 yards and three touchdowns (all three scores coming in his rookie year).
The latest injury wipes out Hamler’s ability to fully immerse himself in Sean Payton’s new offense and build further rapport with Russell Wilson ahead of a pivotal campaign before he becomes a free agent in 2024.
Reports suggest the Broncos have had trade discussions regarding their receivers -- particularly Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. However, with Tim Patrick coming off an injury, and now Hamler going down, we’ll see if the Denver brass decides to scuttle any more trade talks at this point.