As the Denver Broncos were battling the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, they needed all hands on deck. That includes wide receiver Pat Bryant.
Bryant, though, has been on the sidelines in the second half.
What’s Happening with Broncos WR Pat Bryant?
Bryant has been out with a hamstring injury and was unable to return to the game. Initially, the wide receiver was listed as questionable to return. But later, he was ruled out for the rest of Sunday’s game.
That is a big loss to the Denver offense as quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who is starting for the injured Bo Nix, wanted to have a full complement of receivers available.
Broncos rule out WR Pat Bryant (hamstring) from remainder of AFC title gamehttps://t.co/ixdIdWSrS0 pic.twitter.com/JyTiOq5bIi
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) January 25, 2026
Now, the Broncos and head coach Sean Payton are going to have to rely on other wide receivers to pick up the slack. According to the PFSN NFL WR Impact Metric, which is measured through the regular season, Bryant had an impact score of 69.5 and graded out to a D+.
In the regular season, Bryant had 31 catches for 378 yards and one touchdown catch, averaging 12.2 yards per catch. Before leaving Sunday’s game, Bryant only had one catch for two yards.
Bryant was a third-round draft pick out of Illinois by the Broncos in the 2025 NFL Draft. This was Bryant’s rookie season, and he wanted to make an impact on the field. Now, though, he’ll be watching the rest of the AFC Championship Game from the Broncos’ sidelines.
In the third quarter, the Broncos and Patriots were tied at 7-7, but New England was driving for a go-ahead field goal. It was good, so the Patriots now go up 10-7. New England tried another field goal later in the quarter, but it was wide right. So, Stidham and the Denver offense will get the ball back.
But weather conditions have gotten worse in the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. The temperature has started to drop, and snow flurries are falling briskly. Some snow is collecting on the field, which will make conditions a bit more treacherous as the game progresses.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
