Broncos DL Matt Henningsen Tears Achilles for Second Straight Year, Out for 2026 Season
Matt Henningsen’s cruelest streak in the NFL has nothing to do with wins or losses. For the second consecutive training camp, the Denver Broncos defensive lineman went down with a torn Achilles — and this time, it happened almost to the exact day of the last one.
Henningsen was carted off the field early in Friday’s practice at the team’s facility in Englewood, Colorado, after getting hurt during an individual drill. According to 9News’ Mike Klis, doctors later confirmed a torn Achilles tendon.
“Devastating news: Broncos DL Matt Henningsen suffered a torn Achilles today per source,” Klis posted on X. “It occurred one year after he tore his other Achilles during joint practice with 49ers in Santa Clara. All that rehab. All that work to come back. And Henningsen was having a good camp.”
Devastating news: #Broncos DL Matt Henningsen suffered a torn Achilles today per source. It occurred one year after he tore his other Achilles during joint practice with 49ers in Santa Clara.
All that rehab. All that work to come back. And Henningsen was having a good camp.— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) August 7, 2026
The timing is almost impossible to script. Henningsen tore his other Achilles on Aug. 9, 2025, during a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara — an injury Sean Payton confirmed to reporters days later, saying, “I hate that for him. And that’ll put him out for the season,” according to Mile High Huddle. Now he’s staring down a second full year of rehab before he’s played a regular-season snap since 2023.
A Brutal Repeat for a Player Who Was Finally Healthy
What makes Friday’s injury sting more is where Henningsen was in his comeback. He’d fought back from last year’s tear, got re-signed by Denver, and was pushing for a 53-man roster spot as a rotational piece on the interior line. Klis noted he was “having a good camp” right up until the moment he went down.
The 27-year-old is a sixth-round pick from the 2022 draft out of Wisconsin. He played all 17 games as a rookie and did the same in 2023, working as a rotational lineman and special-teams contributor. He spent 2024 on Denver’s practice squad, then landed on injured reserve for the entire 2025 season after the first Achilles tear. In 34 career games, he’s recorded 40 combined tackles and one sack, according to NBC Sports.
Henningsen signed a one-year deal with the Broncos in March and was set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, per CBS Sports. That timeline is now on hold for at least another year.
Henningsen’s Injury Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Aug. 9, 2025 | Tears Achilles during joint practice with 49ers in Santa Clara |
| 2025 season | Placed on injured reserve, misses entire year |
| March 2026 | Re-signs with Broncos on one-year contract |
| Aug. 7, 2026 | Tears other Achilles during individual drill at training camp |
Henningsen wasn’t the only Bronco who left Friday’s session banged up. Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. and tight end Nate Adkins also stepped off the field during the same practice, though the early word on both is far less dire than what Henningsen is dealing with. Denver appears hopeful that neither will require significant time away, according to NBC Sports.
How Denver’s Defensive Line Shakes Out Now
Henningsen was working as depth on Denver’s interior line behind a group that returns largely intact from a team that reached the AFC Championship Game last season. Zach Allen and D.J. Jones are locked in as starters, with Malcolm Roach as the top rotational piece behind Jones, according to a projected depth chart from SI’s Broncos site. Third-round rookie Tyler Onyedim and second-year lineman Sai’vion Jones are competing to fill the void left by John Franklin-Myers’ departure in free agency, with Eyioma Uwazurike also in the mix for snaps.
Losing Henningsen thins that rotation further, but it doesn’t touch the starting group. The bigger cost is organizational — another year of development lost for a player who’d already shown he could handle a role in this scheme.
There’s no word yet on a timetable for Henningsen’s return or whether the Broncos will place him on injured reserve or another roster designation. That decision typically follows within days of a confirmed diagnosis like this one.
