Unfortunately for DeShawn Williams, what happened in Vegas did not stay in Vegas.
The veteran Denver Broncos defensive lineman suffered an elbow injury amid Sunday’s loss to the Raiders and will miss the final two games of the regular season, head coach Vic Fangio revealed — and Williams confirmed — on Monday.
It’s unclear at what point Williams suffered his injury. The soon-to-be 29-year-old registered six combined tackles across 35 defensive snaps in the 17-13 defeat at Allegiant Stadium.
Williams, who initially joined the Broncos in 2018 before playing his way to significant snaps in 2020, finishes his fourth NFL season with 39 tackles (17 solo), five quarterback hits, two pass deflections, and one sack, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 75 interior defender among 129 qualifiers.
Ticketed for restricted free agency in 2022, Williams might have taken his last snap in a Denver uniform. It’s unlikely the team — set along the defensive line with Dre’Mont Jones, Mike Purcell, and Shelby Harris — places a second-round tender on the former undrafted free agent, while choosing no tender could lead to interest from outside suitors.
With Williams out of the picture, the Broncos should lean on 2020 third-round DL McTelvin Agim behind starting nose tackle Purcell, whom Fangio said “may be entering the COVID-19 protocols,” jeoparding his Week 17 status.
It’s also possible the Broncos elevate a replacement body, Jonathan Harris or Marquiss Spencer, from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Chargers.
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