17 DaeSean Hamilton WR

Hamilton (knee) has reverted to Denver's reserve/non-football injury list after going unclaimed on waivers Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Hamilton suffered a torn ACL away from team facilities just as the Broncos were closing in on trading him elsewhere. Instead, Hamilton will now remain on the NFI list for 2021. Hamilton will no doubt undergo surgery in the near future before beginning a lengthy rehab process.

Hamilton (knee) was waived by the Broncos on Tuesday with a non-football injury, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

The 26-year-old was apparently told Thursday that Denver would trade or waive him, and his fate was sealed after he suffered a torn ACL away from team facilities a day later. Hamilton caught 81 passes for 833 yards and five touchdowns over his three seasons with the Broncos, but he won't be taking the field in 2021 due to the injury.

Hamilton (knee) suffered a torn ACL away from team facilities Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

It was announced Thursday that Hamilton would be waived by the Broncos, but Rapoport reports that a trade was in the works prior to the 2018 fourth-round pick tearing his ACL. Aside from being a serious injury, the fact the timing of Hamilton's torn ACL will likely nullify any trade deal that may have been brewing is a brutal blow. Denver will await further injury confirmation before making a decision on how to proceed.

The Broncos will waive Hamilton on Thursday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Hamilton has operated as a capable reserve option since joining the Broncos in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, but over the past two season he found himself the odd man out in what's become one of the league's most crowded receiving corps. The fact that Hamilton also doesn't contribute much on special teams meant there was little incentive for Denver to keep him on the roster, as moving on frees up $2.18 million in cap space. It would be surprising if Hamilton passes through waivers unclaimed.

Hamilton caught 23 of 44 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns during the 2020 campaign.

Hamilton caught nine passes for 159 yards in two contests against Los Angeles, including a game-turning 40-yard touchdown in Week 8. Against all other opponents, he averaged just one catch for 9.6 yards per game. Following the Week 8 win over the Chargers, quarterback Drew Lock talked up Hamilton, but the junior from Penn State got lost in the shuffle. He'll probably remain there during the 2021 season. 2020 rookies Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler and Tyrie Cleveland will all enjoy their first full offseason and Courtland Sutton should be back to speed following a torn ACL. Add in Tim Patrick and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Hamilton back on the bubble come September.

Hamilton caught two of six targets for 18 yards during Sunday's 32-31 loss to Las Vegas.

Hamilton was pushed into the WR2 role mid-game after Tim Patrick went down with a foot injury. He was unable to capitalize, not connecting with Drew Lock on a couple of deep balls down the sideline. Hamilton enters a contract year in 2021 and, though he's had strong chemistry with Lock, faces a crowded receiving corps with the return of Courtland Sutton (knee) and KJ Hamler (concussion).

Hamilton caught five of nine targets for 77 yards in Sunday's 19-16 loss to the Chargers,

With KJ Hamler (concussion) forced from the game early and Jerry Jeudy having trouble with drops, Hamilton wound up seeing a season high in targets and topped 33 yards for the first time since Week 8, leading the Broncos in receiving in the process. His two best performances this year have both come against the Chargers, making him a risky option in Week 17's clash with the Raiders even if Hamler remains sidelined.

Hamilton was not targeted on 11 offensive snaps during Saturday's 48-19 loss to Buffalo.

Hamilton broke a three-game catchless streak with a 13-yard reception during Denver's Week 14 road win over Carolina, but his offensive role again reverted to obsolete against the Bills. The 25-year-old's best stretch of the season came Weeks 7 through 10 when he collected 12 receptions for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns, however, he hasn't exceeded 20 receiving yards in any of his 10 appearances outside of that brief span.

Hamilton caught his lone target for a 13-yard gain during Sunday's 32-27 win over Carolina.

Entering Sunday, Hamilton hadn't recorded a reception since Week 10 against Las Vegas. He saw just one target during that stretch. Though the streak is over, Hamilton still isn't a great gamble heading into Saturday's matchup against Buffalo, especially with the continued growth of rookie KJ Hamler. Hamilton has topped 20 yards just three times this season and seen more than three targets in a game just twice.

Hamilton was not targeted over his 12 offensive snaps during Sunday's 22-16 loss to Kansas City.

Seven different Broncos caught passes Sunday night, but Hamilton went without a reception for a third consecutive outing. He enjoyed a stretch that consisted of 12 receptions, 153 yards and two touchdowns between Weeks 7 and 10, but outside of that, the 25-year-old has been held under 20 receiving yards in his other eight outings of 2020. He slots in as a secondary wideout for Denver at best heading into a Week 14 matchup against Carolina.

Hamilton did not haul in his lone target during Sunday's 31-3 loss to New Orleans.

The Broncos' passing game was effectively non-existent as practice-squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton handled the quarterbacking for the Broncos. Brighter days are ahead with the return of Drew Lock from COVID protocols, but Hamilton's production might improve only minimally from Sunday. The receiver has just six receptions for 45 yards in the four games since his clutch performance against the Chargers in Week 8. The rise of KJ Hamler should keep Hamilton firmly in the No. 4 WR role Sunday against the Chiefs.

Hamilton secured four of six targets for 33 receiving yards and one touchdown, losing a fumble during Sunday's 37-12 loss to Las Vegas.

With the Broncos needing points in a hurry, down 17 with 10:13 to go in regulation, Hamilton fumbled on the first play of a drive starting from Denver's own seven-yard line. The Raiders delivered a virtual knockout punch the very next play, extending to a 30-6 lead by virtue of ex-Bronco Devontae Booker's touchdown run. Hamilton scored a junk-time TD on the tail end of the subsequent 12-play, 75-yard drive, concluding his day as Denver's fourth-leading receiver in the yardage column. The Penn State product has 185 receiving yards and two TDs on the year as Denver heads home for a Week 11 matchup against the Dolphins.

Hamilton caught both of his targets for 12 yards during Sunday's 34-27 loss in Atlanta.

Hamilton followed up arguably the best performance of his career against the Chargers in Week 8 with a quiet afternoon against the Falcons. Tim Patrick's return to the lineup and the increasing comfort rookies Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler are finding in the offense certainly contributed to Hamilton's modest production.

Hamilton caught four of five targets for 82 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 31-30 win over the Chargers.

Hamilton's 40-yard catch-and-run touchdown to bring the Broncos within a score in the fourth quarter is going to be the highlight, but the comeback doesn't even get started if not for an earlier Hamilton catch. With Denver trailing and facing third-and-eight midway through the third quarter, Hamilton found a soft spot in the defense and gained 18 yards. Phillip Lindsay's 55-yard touchdown came on the very next play. Hamilton has struggled with drops in key moments this season, but he came up huge with a career-high 82 yards with Tim Patrick (hamstring) out of the lineup Sunday. Patrick's health is worth monitoring to see what kind of opportunities Hamilton will have in Week 8 against Atlanta.

Hamilton snared two of his three targets for 26 receiving yards during Sunday's 43-16 loss to the Chiefs.

Hamilton's reception and yardage totals from Week 7 mark season highs for the Penn State product, though it's been an inefficient year overall. He's hauled in just five of the 14 total passes thrown his way in 2020, while a 4.1 yards-per-target average severely caps his fantasy upside heading into a Week 8 matchup against the Chargers.

Hamilton did not record a reception despite two targets during Sunday's 18-12 win over New England.

Leading 15-3 late in the third quarter, the Denver offense got the ball in Patriots territory after a fumble recovery. Facing third and short, Drew Lock took a shot down field and put the ball on Hamilton's hands, but the Penn State product lost it. The play would have put Denver inside the five-yard line, but instead the team had to settle for a long field goal. Hamilton has just three catches on 11 targets this season and has struggled with drops dating back to last season. Expect a very strong push from fellow Nittany Lion KJ Hamler once the rookie returns to form from a hamstring injury.

Hamilton did not garner a target during Sunday's 28-10 loss to Tampa Bay.

Hamilton fielded 19 percent of the offensive snaps against the Buccaneers, but Diontae Spencer (one target) was the next-most involved receiver behind starters Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler. Even with Courtland Sutton (knee-ACL) unavailable for the rest of the season, it appears Hamilton may be no more than a peripheral contributor to the Broncos' passing game. He has six targets through the first three weeks of 2020, with Denver heading into a Thursday night matchup against the Jets.

Hamilton caught one of three targets for 18 years during Monday's 16-14 loss to Tennessee.

Hamilton's night could have been a lot brighter if he and Drew Lock had connected on a would-be touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Nursing a one-point lead, Lock launched a pass on third-and-long to the end zone, but the ball was overthrown and toward the sideline. Instead, the Broncos punted and Tennessee made the comeback. Hamilton is in a precarious spot on the Broncos' roster heading into Week 2. He was effectively the No. 3 WR for the opener, but depending on the health of Courtland Sutton (shoulder) and KJ Hamler (hamstring), Hamilton might not even be active Week 2.

The selections of wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in this weekend's draft pose a threat for Hamilton's role in 2020, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Just as he did to end his rookie campaign in 2018, Hamilton ended 2019 on a high note, collecting 11 of his 28 catches, 130 of his 297 yards, and his lone touchdown of the season in Denver's final two games. That didn't completely make up for him being in Joe Flacco's doghouse for much of the first half of the season or a key drop Week 13 against the Chargers. It was never a mystery that Denver was going to select a WR2 early to complement Courtland Sutton, but adding a second makes things interesting. Hamler, who attended Penn State with Hamilton, offers sub-4.3-40 speed from the slot. Head coach Vic Fangio told reporters that Diontae Spencer will be difficult to remove from his returner duties. That likely means that Hamilton, Tim Patrick, Fred Brown and 2019 draft pick Juwann Winfree are all competing for -- at most -- two roster spots.

Hamilton caught 28 of 52 passes for 297 yards an a touchdown during the 2019 season.

Hamilton hadn't done much for most of the season, but he showed some life during Denver's final two games, with 39.2% of his catches and 43.8% of his yards coming in wins over Detroit and Oakland. Though he seemed to have fallen out of favor with Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen, 28 of his 52 targets came during Drew Lock's five-game audition. Hamilton is a nice option short and over the middle, but he doesn't seem to be an ideal option to stretch the field opposite Courtland Sutton. He may actually be well served if Denver, as expected, looks to upgrade the WR2 spot; with an extra threat on the outside, Hamilton may have more room to exert damage over the middle of the field.