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Paradis to undergo surgery on fractured fibula, likely out for season

The injury comes as Paradis was likely to become among the NFL's highest-paid centers either through contract extension with the Broncos or free agency.
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Broncos center Matt Paradis (61) is carted off the field in the second quarter against the Houston Texans at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. (Photo: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports).

DENVER — Broncos center Matt Paradis, an iron man who had played every snap since the start of the 2015 season, suffered a fractured fibula near his right ankle in the first half of the game Sunday against the Houston Texans.

Paradis had to be carted off the field. He will need surgery to repair the injury, a source told 9News. There is hope that because he did not suffer a dislocation in the ankle, his recovery will be a couple months. Still he is likely finished for the season -- and given his impending free agency -- he may have taken his last snap for the Broncos. Paradis had the second-longest consecutive snap streak to Kansas City right guard Mitchell Schwartz at the time of his injury.

"He's the guy that gets everything going, gets everybody in the right spot,'' said Connor McGovern, the Broncos' right guard who replaced Paradis at center. "He's been d oing it forever, it seems like. It's tough to lose a guy like that.''

The injury comes as Paradis was likely to become among the NFL's highest-paid centers either through contract extension with the Broncos or free agency. The Broncos and Paradis' agents had been involved in contract talks off-and-on in recent months, although a deal was not imminent.

"Matt, he's as solid as they come,'' Keenum said. "He's awesome to play with. I don't ever like comparing guys, but man, he's incredible. Top notch, first class. It's a tough deal.''

Paradis was the Broncos' starting center during their Super Bowl 50 season and he was voted one of the team's captains this year. After McGovern moved from right guard to at center. Elijah Wilkinson was inserted into right guard.

"I feel like I could have played better,'' McGovern said. "I felt like I could have made better (protection) calls. The biggest thing is stuff looks different when you move from guard to center. You're used to identifying fronts as a right guard and then you move to center, it took me a minute to settle into that. It's something I need to get better at and plan on getting better at.''

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