Tuesday afternoon, former Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was greeted by the news that he had been traded to the San Francisco 49ers. This deal sent Sanders and a 2020 fifth-round pick to the 49ers and gave the Broncos a 2020 third and fourth-round pick. Following the news breaking, Sanders stopped to chat with reporters as he was leaving town, giving him the opportunity to thank the fans for all of the love and support.
“I tell people all the time, obviously, this is hard,” Sanders said. “But when I think about the situation, I think about the eight-year-old kid or the 12-year-old kid that has my jersey on.
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“I’m no longer a part of the Broncos organization, so for those fans out there that enjoyed watching me play, always brought energy, and always sent me positive messages and rooted for me no matter what, the ups and downs, I really appreciate you guys. I’m forever grateful and thankful.”
Emmanuel Sanders showed love to the Broncos and their fans on his way out of Denver ✊ (via @MichaelCBS4)pic.twitter.com/EvqKg5CGDT
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 22, 2019
Sanders earned a number of fans during his early years with the Broncos while posting three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He topped 100 receptions in 2014, his first year with the team, and reached 1,404 yards while scoring nine touchdowns. These were career-best marks and remain so to this day.
His second season, however, was arguably more critical considering that Sanders was a consistent weapon for both Peyton Manning and backup QB Brock Osweiler. He registered 76 receptions for 1,135 yards and six touchdowns while helping the Broncos take home the Lombardi Trophy with a victory in Super Bowl 50.
“The Super Bowl run was just fun,” Sanders said. “’14, ’15 were some of the best days of my life, best times of my life.”
During the 2015 playoffs, Sanders did not score any touchdowns, but he did provide critical catches when needed. He totaled 16 receptions for 230 yards over the three-game postseason stretch, topping 80 yards in two separate games.
Now that he is a member of the 49ers, there will obviously be an adjustment period for the longtime Broncos receiver, but he believes that he will be able to quickly pick up the offense. The overall scheme is fairly similar, but Sanders will need to learn some new terminology.
Of course, in order to find success, he will first have to pass a physical and show that he is ready to roll. Sanders was sidelined by a knee injury during week six’s victory over the Tennessee Titans, but he was able to return to action for week seven’s battle with the Kansas City Chiefs.
If he is ready to go, Sanders will immediately provide quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo with a proven veteran receiver that has won a Super Bowl and played with one of the league’s greatest signal-callers.
(Photo Credit: Dustin Bradford/Getty)
