Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant may have dodged a season-ending bullet after being carted off the field Sunday with an ankle injury, giving Denver fans a much-needed jolt of hope. While an official confirmation won’t come until after his MRI on Monday, early reports suggest he might only “miss some time” instead of being out for the rest of the season. That’s a huge sigh of relief for a team watching a key receiver go down.
The Scare That Had Denver Holding Its Breath
Talk about a gut punch. Bryant, the 23-year-old third-round pick from Illinois, went down hard after hauling in a 30-yard reception in the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers. It was his third catch of the game, and watching him get carted off, you just knew it looked bad. Quarterback Bo Nix was clearly concerned after the game, saying, “Hopefully it’s not too bad and, you know, we’ll get him back sooner rather than later. But I know he’ll be, you know, aggressive in rehab and I know he wants to be back out there with us.” When a player gets taken off like that, especially with an ankle, the first thought is always the worst.
What Bryant’s Injury Means for Denver’s Offense
Losing Bryant for any significant time would be tough, even if it’s not season-ending. He was starting to carve out a real role, with his nine targets through the first three games of the 2026 season ranking fourth on the team. This kid knows how to fight back, too, having dealt with two concussions last season as a rookie when he grabbed 31 receptions for 378 yards and a touchdown in 15 games. His absence leaves Denver with Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims as their four healthy receivers, plus four more on the practice squad. It also means they’re really hoping for positive news on cornerback Pat Surtain, who’s also dealing with an ankle injury, because you never want your injury list to start piling up this early in the year.
The next few days, specifically that MRI result, are everything for Pat Bryant and the Broncos. Everyone will be waiting to see if he can realistically get back on the field this season and continue to contribute. It’s a waiting game now, and you know Denver fans will be glued to every update.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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