On Aug. 10, 2025, Broncos defensive end Matt Henningsen suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in practice. On Friday, almost exactly one year later, Henningsen tore his other Achilles in practice and will miss this season, Mike Klis of 9News reports.
This is a devastating blow for Henningsen, who Klis notes performed well in camp this year when healthy. However, another Achilles tear was confirmed after the 27-year-old left the field on a cart on Friday. Henningsen will now spend another season rehabbing. He is on track to become a free agent next year.
After going in the sixth round of the 2022 draft, Henningsen played in all 17 of the Broncos’ games as a rookie. The former Wisconsin Badger played 20% of defensive snaps and totaled 21 tackles and a sack. Henningsen was more active on special teams, where he posted a 40.2% snap share.
In 2023, Sean Payton‘s first year as the Broncos’ head coach, Henningsen once again appeared in all of the team’s games. For the second straight season, he played roughly 20% of defensive snaps and 40% on special teams. The 6-foot-3, 291-pounder notched 19 tackles and deflected two passes.
Although Henningsen was reliable depth over his first two seasons, he did not play in any of the Broncos’ games in 2024. Instead, he spent the year on their practice squad after they waived him in late August. Now, thanks to a second consecutive serious injury, he will go a third straight season without seeing any game action.