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Denver left tackle Garett Bolles is having season-ending surgery after suffering a fractured right leg Thursday night against Indianapolis, head coach Nathaniel Hackett told reporters Friday.
The injury occurred late in the fourth quarter when Colts defensive end Deforest Buckner, in the process of tackling Broncos running back Mike Boone, rolled onto the back of Bolles’ right leg.
“Garett, obviously, did not look very good there,” Hackett said after the game. “So we’ll evaluate there a little more. We’ve got to get in there and see him.”
Starting cornerback Ronald Darby is also done for the year, Hackett said. Darby tore his ACL during Thursday night’s game.
Bolles, the sixth-year player out of Utah, has started 82 games for the Broncos since being picked in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year, $68-million extension with $40 million guaranteed late in the 2020 season.
After he left the game on a cart with 3 minutes, 58 seconds remaining in regulation, Calvin Anderson took over at left tackle.
Denver played the rest of the way without three preferred starters on the offensive line. Right guard Quinn Meinerz played 18 snaps against Seattle and hasn’t seen time since then due to a hamstring injury. Tackle Billy Turner has not yet played this season due to a knee injury. He was active Thursday for the first time.
In the time between now and a Monday night game against the Chargers on Oct. 17, Hackett and offensive line coach Butch Barry will have to find the best combination going forward. Anderson could simply stay at left tackle or Denver could explore either Turner there or Cam Fleming, who has started the first five games at right tackle.
Bolles and Darby are the latest in a string of key players to suffer injuries. Starting running back Javonte Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury last week against Las Vegas and outside linebacker Randy Gregory was placed on short-term injured reserve with a knee injury as well, meaning he’ll miss at least four games.
Starting inside linebacker Josey Jewell has a knee sprain and is “week to week” said Hackett. Outside linebacker Baron Browning has a wrist injury and is day to day, “Hackett said.
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