Rookie LB Strnad out for year after wrist surgery

Broncos rookie inside linebacker Justin Strnad underwent wrist surgery Sunday night and is out for the season. Coach Vic Fangio made the announcement following Monday’s practice.

“It was a dislocation, which in and of itself, wouldn’t have put him out for the year, but there were other complications, too,” Fangio said.

A fifth-round pick from Wake Forest, Strnad was competing for a backup role behind Alexander Johnson and Todd Davis. He is the first player the Broncos have ruled out for the season since training camp practices started Aug. 14.

Strnad was one of a camp-high

11 players who did not practice Monday, joining Davis (calf), tight end Austin Fort (knee), nose tackle Mike Purcell (calf), outside linebacker Malik Carney (illness, not COVID-related), safety Alijah Holder (soft tissue), cornerbacks Michael Ojemudia (quad) and De’Vante Bausby (soft tissue), and receivers KJ Hamler (hamstring), Juwann Winfree (groin) and Tim Patrick (soft tissue).

Purcell, Holder, Bausby and Patrick were added to the injury report Monday morning.

“I was not expecting (this many soft-tissue injuries),” Fangio said. “There were some faults in how we set up the acclimation period along with other stuff. It doesn’t do anybody any good to whine about it now. We just have to adjust and improvise and react to it and we did (Monday).”

Fangio said the Broncos have more soft tissue injuries than all of last year. During the season, only three players, safety Kareem Jackson and linebackers Josey Jewell and Justin Hollins, missed games with soft-tissue issues (all hamstring).

Fangio’s reaction to the injuries was to change the scheduled practice. The Broncos were on the field less than two hours, didn’t wear full pads and their team periods were well short of full speed.

“This was the practice we had planned for later in the week,” Fangio said. “We’ll see how we come out of it and what exactly we’ll do (Tuesday) will be a product of that.”

The NFL’s agreement with the NFLPA last month for a returnto-camp plan featured an acclimation period of Aug. 3-11, a gradual ramp-up period from Aug. 12-16 and the start of padded practices.

One potential fault with the acclimation period could have been not enough OTA-like onfield time before the camp practices began.

Strnad was attractive to the Broncos because of his experience in coverage (man and zone) and could have worked his way into a sub-package role this year. Minus Davis, the Broncos have moved Jewell up to the first team and Hollins from outside to inside linebacker.

Fangio said Hollins “worked exclusively” at inside linebacker in practice. Last year, the Broncos cross-trained Hollins — outside backer on base downs/inside backer in the sub-package, but started camp this year deciding Hollins would stay outside. Not anymore.

“We were planning on leaving him outside knowing he may be able to play inside some, especially in nickel,” Fangio said. “Now with the injuries we’ve had at ILB, it’s forced our hands to do that a little earlier. We’re not putting him in there just because we need somebody in there; he’s a guy that has a chance there and sometimes when you’re forced to do something as a coaching staff and as a player, it ends up being a blessing in disguise and that’s what I’m hoping for here.”