Through the first two weeks of the year there haven't been any teams more impressive than the Denver Broncos. They are 2-0 and have beat the last two Super Bowl champions, the Ravens and the Giants, thus far. But they will now be without Peyton Manning's blind side protector, Ryan Clady, for the rest of the season after he injured his foot in Sunday's game against the Giants.
USA Today reports that Clady has a Lisfranc injury in his left foot and it will require surgery. A Lisfranc injury usually means that there was a separation of ligaments and joints in the middle of the foot. The Broncos have placed Clady, the two time All Pro tackle, on season ending injured reserve.
In the offseason Denver made a huge commitment to Clady as they gave him a five year deal worth $57.5 million, with $33 million guaranteed. The left tackle on the offensive line is typically the most important position, especially with a right-handed quarterback, because his back is to that side. With Peyton Manning being the quarterback that position is even more valuable, because protecting him is always the number one priority, making the loss of Clady a huge one for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Clady is the third offensive lineman the Broncos have lost this season. They previously lost Dan Koppen, and J.D. Walton to injuries that ended their seasons before they even started. Now the Broncos will have to go through the rest of their season with a makeshift offensive line, but as NFL.com reports nobody would be able to prosper with this type of situation better than Peyton Manning.
The Broncos will face-off against the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football where they will premiere their new offensive line, including new left tackle, Chris Clark.