Denver Broncos Roster, Injury News 2017: Derek Wolfe Placed on Injured Reserve Due to Neck Injury
The Denver Broncos are shutting down Derek Wolfe for the rest of the season as he continues to deal with a serious neck injury.
The team announced they have placed Wolfe on the injured reserve list on Tuesday, and the move didn't come as a surprise because he has been experiencing numbness on the right side of his body ever since he hurt his neck in the match against the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 20.
Wolfe would suit up for the Broncos when they took on the Oakland Raiders on Nov. 27, but he was taken out of the game in the first quarter when he aggravated the injury.
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According to 9NEWS' Mike Klis, the veteran defensive end met with noted spine surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins on Monday and he was told that he has a "form of spinal stenosis and multiple sprained joints in his neck area."
Wolfe will not have to go under the knife to repair the damage on his neck, but he has been advised to rest for a couple of months to recover.
"As much as I'd like to get back out there and keep playing, when a spinal doctor tells you that you can lose use of your right arm if you don't rest and heal properly, you listen," Wolfe said in a phone interview with Klis on Monday.
"I don't want to lose the use of my right arm. I'm happy because he said I wouldn't need surgery which would have meant all kinds of crazy things. But he said there's no way you should play football the next two months," he continued.
The Broncos are doing the sensible thing here because they want to avoid the risk of long-term health problems. In any case, they are unlikely to make the playoffs so they may as well shut Wolfe down for the remaining four games of the season.
