Nick Gargiulo was painting his masterpiece in the second preseason. He’d seamlessly flipped between left and right guard, looking every bit the versatile, high-IQ lineman who captained both Yale and South Carolina. Then, the brushstroke snapped. Midway through the third quarter, on a routine 9-yard run by Blake Watson, Gargiulo got clipped low from behind. The impact was sudden, brutal, silent save for the gasp rippling through State Farm Stadium. He went down hard, clutching his right knee.
The response was instantaneous, visceral. “Cart out for Broncos guard Nick Gargiulo, who is in pain with an apparent lower body injury,” tweeted Mike Klis. The urgency was palpable. “They’ve got his lower leg in an aircast. Absolutely hate injuries like that,” noted Cody Roark grimly.
Cart out for Broncos guard Nick Gargiulo who is in pain with apparent lower body injury.
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) August 17, 2025
NFL Network’s James Palmer captured the scene’s gravity: “Watching the replay that is a bad injury… Cart was out on the field as fast as I’ve seen one. The whole team is on the field.” That image–the entire Broncos roster, helmets off, forming a silent, concerned corridor as their teammate, grimacing in pain, was carefully loaded onto the cart–spoke louder than any diagnosis. It was football’s raw, unvarnished reality. A symphony interrupted just as the overture promised brilliance.
The immediate visuals and reactions point toward significant concern. The aircast immobilizing the lower leg is standard protocol for suspected fractures or severe ligamentous damage (like an ACL tear). The speed of the cart deployment and the visible distress signal — this wasn’t a tweak or a cramp.
How serious is Gargiulo’s injury?
Roark’s follow-up confirmed the initial fear: “#Broncos OG Nick Gargiulo (knee) will not return.” While official MRI results are pending, the combination of mechanism (low, awkward hit from behind), immediate non-weight bearing, aircast application, and the team’s collective reaction strongly suggests a major knee injury.
Season-ending? That’s the looming dread. “That replay on Gargiulo was brutal,” Roark added, echoing the sinking feeling shared by fans who’d just witnessed his standout performance. This potential loss cuts deeper than just a backup guard for 2025. Gargiulo embodied the Broncos’ developmental vision. A zero-star recruit turned Ivy League captain and All-SEC performer, his intelligence (“smart, tough, physical,” per GM George Paton) and positional flexibility (36 college starts at tackle, guard, and center) made him a prized project.
Gargiulo’s stellar preseason showing, especially that seamless transition between guard spots against the 49ers, cemented him as a prime candidate to potentially replace Ben Powers. His value lay in being a cheap, homegrown solution with starter upside. An injury sidelining him for an extended period, especially one requiring complex rehab like knee reconstruction, doesn’t just dent depth for this year – it potentially derails that carefully plotted succession plan and forces Denver to look externally sooner than hoped.
The air in Arizona may have been dry, but the mood turned heavy as Gargiulo’s cart disappeared down the tunnel. A young player’s moment of ascension met a cruel pivot. The beauty of his preseason performance is now framed by the harsh question mark hanging over his knee. The Broncos hold their breath, hoping the replay lies, but bracing for news that could reshape their offensive line’s future. The masterpiece is on hold.
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