ICYMI: Former Penn State football WR K.J. Hamler suffers a medical setback

The Penn State football team had one of the most dynamic playmakers in program history on the field from 2018-2019. K.J. Hamler aka “The Human Joystick” was incredible during his time at PSU. His speed and agility made him nearly impossible to cover whenever #1 stepped on the field. During his Penn State career, he accounted for 98 receptions for 1658 yards and 13 touchdowns. But on Monday afternoon he announced that he will need to temporarily step away from the Denver Broncos and football due to a newly discovered medical condition.

Former Penn State football WR K.J. Hamler suffers a medical setback

K.J. Hamler posted on his Instagram account on Monday that he will be off of the football field over the next few weeks due to some findings during a recent workout. According to Hamler’s post, “After feeling some chest pains while working out on the break before camp started, I got everything checked out and was diagnosed with mild heart irritation, called pericarditis.”

It’s unfortunate that K.J. Hamler has to deal with yet another setback in his NFL career, each of the three seasons he has played for the Denver Broncos has been cut short by being added to injured reserve for various injuries including a torn ACL in 2021, and a hamstring injury last season.

Hamler went on to say, “I’ve got a great treatment plan with medicine and am taking a quick break to get this all taken care of so I can get back to doing what I love.”

The Denver Broncos plan to waive K.J. Hamler

According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network the Denver Broncos plan to waive K.J. Hamler with a non-football illness designation. The Broncos are going to risk another team claiming Hamler while he goes through waivers; however, their plan is to bring him back if everything is on track with his treatment.

The #Broncos plan to waive WR K.J. Hamler today with a non-football illness designation, sources say, though the transaction is procedural and designed with an eye toward bringing him back. Hamler’s condition isn’t overly serious and he’s expected to miss weeks, not months. pic.twitter.com/L6nWYvSMrV

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 31, 2023

This could be a silver lining for the former Penn State WR as if another team takes a chance on him, he does have the opportunity for a fresh start in his young career and if the Broncos bring him back he returns to action just like normal. This is truly the best-case scenario for a player who is still at the beginning of his pro career.

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