- The Denver Broncos placed starting defensive end Derek Wolfe on injured reserve on Tuesday. Wolfe had suffered a neck injury in his team’s 21-14 loss to the Oakland Raiders in Week 12.
- In 2017, despite struggling through injuries, Wolfe had managed a grade of 78.0 through 12 weeks of the season. His absence will mean increased playing time for Shelby Harris and Zach Kerr, who have received grades of 80.8 and 77.2 so far this year.
- Wolfe has been a model of consistency defending the run throughout his career, ranking among the top-10 at his position in run stop percentage in three of his six NFL seasons. He was historically good in Denver’s championship season (2015), posting a run stop percentage of 13.0. J.J. Watt is the only 3-4 defensive end to have recorded a better single-season mark since 2006.
- The 2015 season also saw Wolfe make an impact as a pass-rusher, ranking 14th among interior defenders with a career-best pass-rush grade of 82.3. He was the ninth ranked interior defender overall that year, with a grade of 88.8.
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