Jonas Griffith missed all of last season on account of an ACL tear, and he’s now set to miss a second straight campaign for a similar reason. The previous Broncos linebacker announced he has surgery lined up for an additional ACL repair.
Griffith noted essentially the most recent tear affects the identical knee which was injured last August. He faces one other lengthy rehab process in consequence, and the news of his recent injury helps explain why the Broncos cut him earlier this week. That move saw him waived without an injury designation, and ended his bid to land a starting gig.
The 27-year-old spent much of the offseason competing with Cody Barton for a first-team role next to Alex Singleton. Once Griffith was let go, it became clear Barton – added on a one-year free agent deal value $2.5MM fully guaranteed – would win out. Griffith went unclaimed on Wednesday, making him a free agent. Given his latest injury setback, though, he’s prone to remain on the open market until he returns to full health.
The previous UDFA made 22 appearances, including 12 starts, between the 2021 and ’22 campaigns with the Broncos. He logged a part-time defensive role during that span while also seeing a notable workload on special teams. Despite missing all of last season (after being sidelined for the tip of the 2022 slate), Griffith signed a one-year extension this winter. That $985K pact didn’t include any guaranteed money.
Singleton and Barton are joined by Drew Sanders and Justin Strnad on the linebacker spot as things currently stand for the Broncos. Denver could add further depth on the position within the wake of Griffith’s injury, but in any case he’ll once more turn his attention to recovery as an alternative of preparation for the season.
