Injuries are a sad reality in the NFL. The worst injuries are those sustained in practice, preparing for a game with teammates.
For rookie tight end Jeff Heuerman, his torn ACL Saturday happened in a non-contact special teams drill when the former Ohio State Buckeye cut on the turf. Players weren’t even wearing helmets at the time, a tough blow to the tight end who worked his life to get to this point as well as the team who drafted him in the third round two weeks ago.
But for the Denver Broncos, this injury hurts more for the future than in the present.
That’s because, in the offseason, Denver signed veteran tight end Owen Daniels to help fill Julius Thomas’ void. Daniels, entering his 10th year in the league, is certainly the team’s starter at the position. Could Heuerman have pushed the veteran? Possibly, but it was Daniels’ job to lose before they took the tight end in the draft.
Daniels is dynamic, blocking well with the ability to make tough catches. No, he’s not the receiving threat Thomas was, but Daniels will be a valuable pass-catcher for Peyton Manning as well as a much better run-blocker.
Heuerman would have given the Broncos that vertical threat from the tight end position, but missing that piece won’t hurt the team’s offense as much as it will hurt the rookie’s adjustment to the pros.
Without the pressure to start from Day One, Heuerman could have stepped back, learned from Daniels as well as Virgil Green. He could have created bonds with his position mates, picked their brains for tips and tricks while witnessing from the sidelines. Heuerman will likely be sidelined for the entire 2015 season now, and even limited reps would have been better than zero reps.
It means a slowed adjustment period from college to the NFL for the 22-year old, an entire season of practices and teaching opportunities from coaches, lost. Plus, this could be Manning’s final year in the league, meaning Heuerman won’t be able to catch a single pass from the all-time great if The Sheriff retires following the season. Again, he’ll be missing out on coaching, this time from Manning himself.
If the Broncos hope Heuerman can be the tight end of the future, this injury in the present could hinder that development.
Then again, Thomas sat out for nearly his first two seasons in the league before blowing up in 2013; count Heuerman down but not out.
