Broncos' KJ Hamler Reportedly Out 4-6 Months After Surgery for Torn Pec Injury

Broncos wide receiver KJ Hamler will be out four to six months after undergoing surgery for a partially torn pectoral muscle suffered during offseason training, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The setback is the latest in a long list of injuries, including a torn ACL and dislocated hip, which have limited the former Penn State star to 10 games in his last two seasons with Denver.

The projected recovery timeline for the surgery puts Hamler's earliest return to the field in July, coinciding with the beginning of Broncos training camp.

Known for his speed, which helped him rank 18th in Penn State history with 1,658 receiving yards, Hamler was selected by the Broncos in Round 2 of the 2020 NFL draft. He caught 30 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns in 13 appearances during his rookie 2020 season, which he ended on injured reserve with a concussion.

The injuries only continued from there.

After a leap for a pass in Week 3 of the 2021 season left Hamler with a torn ACL and dislocated hip, the wide receiver had to relearn to do everything from walk to bathe. Then, after his grandmother died two months later, he said he reached out for help and went to therapy to process what he called the "lowest point of my life."

"It's been a tough journey, to be honest," Hamler told reporters last August. "There was such much stuff I was dealing with and being piled up on top of each other. ... God gave me the strength to just get out of that hole because he knew I was strong enough to get through."

In seven appearances in 2022, Hamler made seven catches for 165 yards. On Oct. 30, he snagged a 47-yard throw from quarterback Russell Wilson in Denver's 21-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

That highlight turned out to be Hamler's last appearance of the season.

During a practice after the bye week, Hamler aggravated a hamstring issue that he had experienced at Penn State and in his rookie season. He missed the final nine games of the campaign, joining a crowded Broncos injured reserve list—part of the reason Denver sank to the bottom of the AFC West.

It looks like Denver's injury trouble will continue into 2023. Hamler's name has been mentioned as a trade target this offseason, but this injury will likely take this option off the table for the Broncos.