Broncos OLB Aaron Patrick Launches Lawsuit over ACL Injury

Gunning for The Shield.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Aaron Patrick is taking legal recourse after sustaining a season-ending knee injury last month.

As first reported by TMZ on Tuesday, Patrick has launched a lawsuit against the NFL, Los Angeles Chargers, and ESPN — among other entities — for "unspecified damages, including lost bonuses and future earning potential" as a result of the torn ACL he suffered during Denver's Oct. 17 game against the Chargers on Monday Night Football.

"Player safety should be the foremost of importance to the NFL and its owners," said Patrick's attorney, William M. Berman, via TMZ. "The NFL is a multi-billion-dollar sports enterprise and business, and it needs to do everything possible to protect its players from non-contact game injuries."

What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

A special teams ace, Patrick, 25, went down while covering a punt amid overtime of the Broncos' 19-16 loss at SoFi Stadium; he collided with a league official on the sideline and, in an attempt to slow his momentum, planted his left leg onto a nearby fabric mat used to cover broadcast monitor cords and cables. The brief misstep caused his knee to bend awkwardly, rupturing the ligament.

"As for Patrick's injuries," said Berman, "SoFi Stadium was built at a $5,000,000,000 expense; the stadium should have the state-of-the-art equipment to protect for player safety, and not use the type of $100 mats that you would expect to see in a restaurant kitchen."

#Broncos LB Aaron Patrick, who grabbed his knee after this awkward sideline collision Monday night, suffered a torn ACL and is out for the season, per source. pic.twitter.com/QYJkLiv4vP

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 18, 2022

Patrick, who joined the Broncos in 2021, finished the season with three solo tackles across 102 special-teams snaps, his campaign cut short after only six games.

"That’s for the league to debate and talk about after seeing kind of what happened from that standpoint on the out of bounds," head coach Nathaniel Hackett said Oct. 18 of Patrick's injury. "Obviously, player safety is the most important thing for all of us, and I know the league will look into.”

The former undrafted defender was earning a non-guaranteed $598,889 base salary, which jumps to $940,000 in 2023, the final year of his $2.425 million deal.

---

Follow Zack on Twitter @KelbermanNFL

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!

Get your Broncos tickets from SI Tickets HERE!