Broncos DE Adam Gotsis Undergoes Knee Surgery, Done for the Year

The hits keep coming to the Broncos' defensive line.

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

First it was Bradley Chubb. Then it was Derek Wolfe. 

Last week, the Broncos had to battle the Kansas City Chiefs in the snow without either of those studs and sans Adam Gotsis, DeMarcus Walker and Dre'Mont Jones. 

A bloodbath ensued to the tune of a 23-3 beatdown in the snow. I'm afraid it only gets worse. 

We learned on Thursday that Gotsis, who'd been battling a knee injury, is done for the season after having undergone surgery on Wednesday. 

"Adam had his knee operated on yesterday," head coach Vic Fangio said. "He’ll be going on I.R. and be done for the year. It’s the same knee he’s had since he came out."

What happens next for the Broncos and Drew Lock? 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!

Gotsis has dealt with an imperfect knee since arriving with the Broncos as a second-round pick out of Georgia Tech back in 2016. Gotsis' contract year has been up-and-down, with him beginning the year as a starter, only to be benched as a healthy scratch for multiple games, before finally getting called back into the muss. 

Now he's hurt and it comes at the most inopportune time for him, as it will cloud his value on the free-agent market next spring. It does make a possible return to Denver more likely for him, though, as GM John Elway will have a chance to get Gotsis re-signed on a team-friendly basis. But it's possible fans may have already seen the last of Gotsis in a Broncos uniform. 

If Walker can bounce back this week and be available to play the Detroit Lions, along with Jones, I won't feel quite so bad about the Broncos' prospects. Walker missed last week and didn't practice on Wednesday but was a limited participant on Thursday. Jones was limited both days. 

Fangio errs on the extreme side of caution when it comes to injured players, so unless Walker makes a full recovery between now and Sunday, he'll likely be a game-time decision. But if he wants to cement his status as a bonafide threat to start on the Broncos' D-line next season, in what will be a contract year for the former 2017 second-rounder, Walker had better try to push through.

Oh, and recently re-signed DL Kyle Peko was sent home from the facility today with an undisclosed illness. When it rains...

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.