Denver Broncos Head Coach Vic Fangio revealed after practice that the team will lose tight end Austin Fort for a couple of weeks after the second-year player tweaked his knee during Day 1 of training camp. He is coming off a torn ACL that knocked him out all of last season.
TE Austin Fort is having an arthroscopic procedure on his knee per source. Out a while. He had ACL surgery last year. #9sports
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) August 14, 2020
Fort was a training camp star in 2019 and seemed poised to potentially secure a roster spot in a very crowded tight end room this offseason. He came into this season optimistic too.
“I’ve just gotta control what I can control and be the best that I can be,” Fort told Broncos Country Tonight in June. “ Last year I was able to take what coach Wade Harman was giving me and just make strides. The competition definitely helps bring out the best in you, and all of us know that we’re not all going to be here when the final cut comes around. I’ve gotta be at my best and it’s going to be a really good camp for all of us.”
However, in an offseason that is already looking slim in timeline. The Broncos will have just a few weeks of practice before the season starts and it looks like Fort will miss most of that time. That will put him behind the curve in a tight end room consisting of Noah Fant, Albert Okwuegbunam, Nick Vannett, Troy Fumagalli, Jake Butt, and Andrew Beck. He needed these reps to show coaches he should make the team.
I’ve liked Fort every step of the way and there is definitely potential there. Hopefully the Broncos can still find a way to keep him either on the practice squad or the active roster heading into this season.