Broncos linebacker Aaron Patrick sues L.A. Chargers, NFL, ESPN over injury

Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Denver Broncos linebacker Aaron Patrick sued the Los Angeles Chargers, NFL, ESPN and others, seeking damages after he sustained a torn ACL from to a sideline fall. He is seeking a jury trial.

Patrick's attorneys filed the suit Tuesday in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles. He alleges negligence by the Chargers, NFL, ESPN, stadium ownership, an NFL instant replay liaison and the manufacturer of the mat onto which he fell.

The NFL and ESPN had no comment. The Chargers and other named defendants did not respond immediately when asked about the lawsuit.

Patrick sustained the injury after he pushed punt return DeAndre Carter out of bounds near the sideline during the Broncos' 19-17 loss to the Chargers on Oct. 17 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound linebacker then went past the sideline and ran into the replay liaison, knocking him to the ground. Patrick plated one leg on a mat, which covered wires. He then fell to the ground awkwardly, while holding his left knee.

"Player safety should be the foremost of importance to the NFL and its owners," William Berman, one of Patrick's attorneys, said in a news release. "The NFL is a multi-billion-dollar sports enterprise and business, and it needs to do everything possible to protect its players from non-contact game injuries.

"As for Patrick's injuries, Sofi Stadium should have the state-of-the-art equipment to protect for player safety, and not use the type of $100 mats that you would expect to see in a restaurant kitchen."

Patrick, 25, entered the league in 2021 as an undrafted free agent. He spent part of last season on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad. He totaled eight combined tackles in 12 appearances last season for the Broncos. He totaled three combined tackles in five games this season for the Broncos.

Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett announced Oct. 18 that Patrick would be out for the rest of the season. The Broncos placed Patrick on injured reserve the same day.

Patrick's attorneys said he will lose the opportunity to receive bonuses through the player performance pool that would amount to $200,000 to $400,000. He also will lose $370,000 in base salary earnings.

And his attorneys claim that the injury is expected to impact his earning capacity as a restricted free agent this off-season.

The Broncos (3-6) will host the Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) at 4:05 p.m. EST Sunday in Denver.