Broncos LT Garett Bolles Breaks Leg, Done for the Season

The Denver Broncos added injury to insult after falling to the Indianapolis Colts in overtime, 12-9.

When it rains, it pours. As if the Denver Broncos' Thursday night loss to the Indianapolis Colts wasn't debilitating enough (a 12-9 game that went to overtime), the injury bug won't relinquish its grip on this team.

After Baron Browning went down with a wrist injury amid a break-out caliber performance, Denver's starting left tackle Garett Bolles was carted off with what appeared to be a serious lower-leg injury. Bolles' legs got rolled into, and he was pretzeled to the dirt.

Post-game, 9NEWS' Mike Klis reported that Bolles suffered a broken leg. His prognosis? It isn't good. 

Head coach Nathaniel Hackett updated the situation on Friday morning. 

"Some of the injury stuff: some unfortunate news, Garett Bolles, he’ll need surgery [and] he’ll be out for the season," Hackett said. 

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Bolles' injury occurred late in the fourth quarter as he blocked on a Mike Boone rush. Calvin Anderson relieved Bolles as he was carted off the field and finished the game at left tackle. 

If Bolles is going to miss at least six weeks, the Broncos have no choice but to roll with Anderson at left tackle. At least, that's the position Anderson plays best. 

Denver tried Anderson at right tackle at multiple stages, and as a career-long left-side guy, he was like a fish out of water. The Broncos' entire offensive line is reeling right now, and a shake-up isn't out of the question. 

Meanwhile, Bolles, in his sixth year, has been a very reliable starter for Denver since arriving as a first-round pick out of Utah in 2017. He earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2020, which also bought him a massive contract extension. 

The Broncos now have to figure out how to make hay without their franchise left tackle. Bolles is the latest in a long list of key players the Broncos have lost already in this young season. 

Eventually, one must wonder how many serious injuries to star players the Broncos can sustain and still survive. Sitting at 2-3, the answer would appear to be obvious as it feels like this team is on the brink of careening wildly off the NFL cliff in disgrace. 

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