DENVER — The last time KJ Hamler played in an NFL game was Week 3 of the 2021 season. On a leaping attempt to secure a pass in tight coverage, Hamler suffered a torn ACL and a hip injury — devastatingly bringing an end to his sophomore season just after it had begun.
On Saturday night, the third-year wide receiver made his highly anticipated return to the field. In the Broncos’ final preseason game against the Vikings, Hamler recorded three receptions for 18 yards.
“I felt good,” Hamler said. “It was very exciting to be back. I’m blessed. God … He gave me a little bump I had to get over, but it was all worth it.”
Coming into this final preseason game, Hamler advocated for the opportunity to see some snaps. Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett did not play most of the starters during the preseason, but Hamler noted that in order to know if he’ll be ready for Week 1, he needed to see the field on Saturday.
“I thought it was very important, I really wanted to get in,” Hamler said. “[Hackett] didn’t want to really play me, but I was like, ‘Man, just let me get in, let me get a few reps, just see if I’m still myself.'”
Hackett said after the game that he was excited to see Hamler back on the field, noting the wide receiver’s reluctance to come out of the game.
“We had to take him out, he wanted to keep going,” Hackett said. “He was having such a great time. I think it’s great for him to be able to catch the ball, take a couple pops. You want him to want to stay in, in those situations, for a guy that hasn’t played for as long as he had. It’s very encouraging, and we can just build off that.”
As Hackett mentioned, Hamler did take a few hits — the most significant being a hard collision on a six-yard reception to open the second quarter, which resulted in an unnecessary roughness call on the defender. But to Hamler, the contact is just another sign that he’s back.
“It wasn’t really nothing to me, I got right back up — but that’s football,” Hamler said.
Hamler earned the…
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