Kenny McKinley Suicide: Denver Broncos Wide Receiver Found Dead

According to local media outlets in Denver, Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley was found dead this afternoon, the victim of an apparent suicide.

The story, found here, didn't have any more details, but McKinley was a fifth-round pick in the Broncos 2009 draft, but played only on kick returns in 2009 before being placed on the injured reserve list.

McKinley once again found himself on the injured reserve list as the 2010 season began, so that could be a factor in the incident.

The effect this will have on the Broncos team is unknown since, from a player-personnel standpoint, he already was lost for the year and wasn't figured into any of the game-planning.

However, the human effect of having a teammate die suddenly can't be understated. He spent time with the players in the locker room at various points over the last two years, and he undoubtedly made a lot of friends.

Expect there to be some kind of tribute at this weekend's game and the obligatory patch or sticker on the helmet.

Certainly this is a tragedy, and a young man's life has been cut short.

The future always is an unknown and now the Broncos have lost one of their own, even though he only was with them a short time. All we can do as fans is hope something positive comes out of this tragedy.