Bassey was waived by the Broncos on Tuesday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.
Bassey entered the season as the team's nickel corner, but he ultimately lost the job to Ja'Quan McMillian this past week, according to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. Gabriel also speculates the move may have been made to create space for running back Dwayne Washington on the active roster, as Javonte Williams (hip) is considered questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets.
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Broncos' Essang Bassey: Out for Week 8
Rotowire
Bassey (hamstring) has been ruled out for the Broncos' Week 8 game versus the Jaguars.
Bassey will miss Sunday's contest after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 6 against the Chargers, which has forced him to be absent for two consecutive games. With the Broncos' bye coming next week, Bassey will shift his focus to being ready for Week 10 versus Tennessee. In his absence, Michael Ojemudia could see a slight increase in usage.
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Broncos' Essang Bassey: Set to miss time with hamstring
Rotowire
Bassey is expected to be sidelined for some time with a hamstring issue, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.
Though the severity of Bassey's hamstring injury remains unclear, it sounds like he'll need some time off to fully recover. In five games played for the Broncos in 2022, the 24-year-old collected just three tackles in that stretch. In Bassey's absence, Patrick Surtain and K'Waun Williams should continue operating with their usual starting roles, while Darius Phillips, Damarri Mathis and Michael Ojemudia could see more rotational snaps throughout Denver's secondary for the time being.
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Broncos' Essang Bassey: Claimed by Broncos
Rotowire
The Broncos claimed Bassey off waivers from the Chargers, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.
Bassey appeared in 12 games for Denver in 2020 but played just once for Denver this past season, when he registered 10 special teams snaps against the Chargers in Week 12. The second-year corner began the season on the PUP list while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered in December 2020. He was eventually claimed off waivers by the Chargers on Dec. 20 and appeared in 11 defensive snaps in Los Angeles' Week 16 loss to the Texans. He'll get a chance to reprise his role as a rotational cornerback with his original team heading into the 2022 season.
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Broncos' Essang Bassey: Heads to IR
Rotowire
The Broncos placed Bassey (knee) on injured reserve Wednesday.
Bassey was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee following Sunday's loss to the Chiefs, so this news isn't quite surprising. The undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest performed well in his rookie campaign, compiling 23 tackles (21 solo) and an interception across 12 games. He'll hit the recovery trail after surgery, and it's unclear whether he'll be ready for the beginning of the 2021 season.
