SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Matt Henningsen’s season is over before it ever started.
The reserve Broncos defensive lineman tore his Achilles tendon Thursday and will be placed on season-ending injured reserve, head coach Sean Payton confirmed after Denver’s Saturday night preseason win against San Francisco.
Henningsen, a 2022 sixth-round pick out of Wisconsin, suffered the injury during a 1-on-1 drill at Thursday’s joint practice with the 49ers.
“I hate it for him,” Payton said after the Broncos beat the 49ers, 30-9, in the preseason opener.
Henningsen, Payton said, will have surgery to repair the Achilles after the team gets back to Denver.
The Brookfield, Wisconsin, native played in all 34 games his first two seasons in the NFL before spending the 2024 season on the practice squad. Over his first two years, Henningsen recorded 40 tackles and a sack.
He was elevated from the practice squad the maximum of three times during the 2024 season but was not actually active for a game day.
Henningsen is the second Broncos player who will land on season-ending injured reserve so far in training camp, joining undrafted rookie outside linebacker Johnny Walker, Jr.
The Broncos defensive line group is among the deepest on the team. After a quintet of players who are locks to make the roster — Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, John Franklin-Myers, Malcolm Roach and rookie Sai’Vion Jones — there is a good battle brewing for maybe one roster spot between Eyioma Uwazurike and Jordan Jackson. Denver also has some likely practice squad candidates in Jordan Miller and Kristian Williams
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