The Denver Broncos suffered their first loss in 11 games with a Week 16 home defeat at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The franchise caught a different kind of “L” just hours before their Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs when they announced center Luke Wattenberg was headed to the injured reserve with a shoulder injury, meaning he would miss at least 2 postseason games if he comes back this season.
That means Wattenberg could return for either the AFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl if the Broncos somehow get the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs.
“The Broncos placed starting C Luke Wattenberg on IR today with a shoulder injury,” NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo wrote on X. “He’s out through the first two playoff games with an injury that’s still being evaluated to determine if he can return later in the postseason.”
Wattenberg signed a 4-year, $48 million contract extension on November 25 that made him one of the Top 10 highest paid players at his position in the NFL.
Alex Forsyth was set to start in Wattenberg’s place moving forward.
“The Broncos have placed center Luke Wattenberg on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, team announces,” The Denver Post’s Luca Evans wrote on X on Thursday, December 25. “Big blow at this point in the year. A lot on reserve Alex Forsyth’s shoulders. Started 4 games there last year. Calvin Throckmorton signed to 53-man as backup.”
“Per wire, Broncos placed starting center Luke Wattenberg on IR with shoulder injury,” Denver 9News reporter Mike Klis wrote on X. “A potential big blow. Alex Forsyth is up.”
Wattenberg Become One of NFL’s Elite in 2025
Wattenberg was a fifth round pick in the 2022 NFL draft out of the University of Washington and became the full-time starter for the first time in 2024, when he started all 13 games he played in but missed 4 games with an ankle injury
In 2025, he’d started all 15 games so far this season for the 12-3 Broncos before being placed on injured reserve. In his second year as the starter, the 6-foot-5, 300-pound Wattenberg has established himself as one of the NFL’s best at his position and has a 70.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus this season.
“A massive loss to the offensive line as Alex Forsyth will be the next man up for the Broncos,” Sleeper Broncos wrote on X.
“Center Luke Wattenberg has been placed on IR,” Broncos.com’s Alec DiLalla wrote on X. “Had played all 1,005 of the Broncos’ offensive snaps to start the season.”
Forsyth Most Known for Mistake Against Chiefs
Forsyth is best known for making a mistake that cost the Broncos a win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 10 of the 2024 regular season.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix drove the Broncos down the field in the final moments of the game to set up what could have been a 35-yard, game-winning field goal by Will Lutz as time expired. Instead, Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal flew in for the game-winning field goal block to seal a 16-14 win.
A quick look at the film showed Forsyth get run over by Chenal before making the play.
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