Broncos inside linebacker Jonas Griffith will head to injured reserve with a torn ACL, ending his 2023 season, coach Sean Payton said after Thursday’s practice.

Griffith, the third-year player who joined the Broncos through a trade with the 49ers in 2021, suffered the tear during a special teams period of Tuesday’s practice. Griffith was a Week 1 starter at inside linebacker for the Broncos in 2022, but he missed the final eight games of the season due to a foot injury.

The injury to Griffith came one day after Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.

“It’s unfortunate because he was one of those guys who was rehabbing, too,” Payton said of Griffith. “We’re trying to keep his spirits up.”

Griffith figured to play a significant role on special teams and provide experienced depth behind the starting duo of Josey Jewell and Alex Singleton. Fortunately for the Broncos, they invested in the position in the draft by selecting Drew Sanders out of Arkansas with a third-round pick — and Payton has been pleased with the rookie’s progress.

“He’s picked it up. He’s smart,” Payton said. “There are little nuances because he played off the ball (and on the ball) in college. But he is a quick study. I think he’s handled the install pretty well. There are plays in practice where there may be an alignment error or a leverage error, but he’ll get it cleaned up. Overall, we’ve been pleased with him.”

To replace Griffith on the roster, the Broncos on Thursday signed linebacker Austin Ajiake, who spent time with the Panthers as an undrafted rookie last season but did not play in a game.