C.J. Anderson injury update: Broncos place RB on injured reserve
The Denver Broncos will be without C.J. Anderson for at least eight weeks after placing him on injured reserve on Friday afternoon.
Denver Broncos starting running back C.J. Anderson was placed on injured reserve on Friday after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, according to NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport.
He goes on to say that the earliest the Broncos could activate Anderson would be eight weeks from now and that his rehab from the injury could take longer than that. As Anderson couldn’t get back to practice until Week 16 even with a quick recovery, his season is effectively over.
Anderson suffered the injury in the first half of Denver’s 27-9 win over the Houston Texans on Monday night. There were some questions about the severity of the injury, which was initially deemed a bone bruise, and Anderson himself denied that it was anything major before the diagnosis of the dreaded meniscus tear came later in the week.
The #Broncos have placed RB CJ Anderson on Injured Reserve, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 28, 2016
With the #Broncos placing RB CJ Anderson on Injured Reserve, the earliest we see him is 8 weeks. I’m told his rehab is measured in months.
With the #Broncos placing RB CJ Anderson on Injured Reserve, the earliest we see him is 8 weeks. I’m told his rehab is measured in months.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 28, 2016
The fourth-year back out of California wasn’t quite enjoying the same success as his breakout 2014 campaign but was still the top back in the Denver backfield. Anderson had 110 carries for 437 yards and four touchdowns prior to the injury, along with another 128 yards and a score through the air.
While losing a starting running back hurts any team, the Broncos do have some depth at the position. Rookie Devontae Booker was quickly closing in on Anderson’s starting job with 51 carries for 244 yards and a touchdown following his terrific college career at Utah.
Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports that the Broncos are promoting Juwan Thompson to take Anderson’s spot on the active roster.
Thompson will now be the most experienced member of the Denver backfield with 72 career carries for 720 yards and three touchdowns in limited action over the past two years. Kapri Bibbs, who rushed for over 1,700 yards at Colorado State in 2013, also figures to get a few touches.
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Losing Anderson is a blow, particularly for a Denver team that could face the formidable New England Patriots in the postseason down the road. Still, few quads are better equipped than Denver to replace Anderson, and Gary Kubiak’s system will help ease any new running back in.