Danny Trevathan will miss 6-8 weeks

Denver Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan has a fracture just below the joint in his left knee and will miss six to eight weeks, the team announced Tuesday.

Trevathan, who had an MRI after he was taken off the field during practice Tuesday morning, suffered a medial tibial fracture impaction. He will not go under the knife.

"I told my ACL and MCL are fine, but has a broken knee," ESPN's Josina Anderson Trevathan said. "The doctor told me he would be out four to eight weeks, but I said four to six. I'm not shooting.'m Going to recover. I am a soldier."

Trevathan fell to the ground in search of a running game for a full computer simulation in the fully padded practice of the Broncos. It was unclear where Trevathan made ​​contact with another player, but backup center Will Montgomery rolled over the top of Trevathan when the two hit the ground.

Trevathan immediately grabbed his knee and was down for several minutes before being taken to the locker room.

"He has an impact fracture, which is basically a crack in the top of the tibia," 'said head coach John Fox of Broncos after practice Tuesday night. "They're saying four to eight weeks. Could have been a ligament injury and all that kind of stuff, it was not."

The third-year linebacker, who led the Broncos with 124 tackles last season, is one of the most important players on the defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio schema.

Trevathan, playing on the weak side of the defense of the base, is a three-down player at the position with enough force to fill the gaps in run defense and enough speed and athleticism to work downfield in coverage pass.

"Obviously it's a vital part of our defense," Fox said.

Earlier in training camp, Trevathan said he hoped to break as a potential Pro Bowl player in the scheme of the team.

"I just grind every day to be everything I can be," he said then. "I set goals that are too high because I believe in what I can do. I just want to prove it."

Fox said Brandon Marshall, who was on the practice squad Broncos during most of 2013 and Lamin Barrow and rookie Corey Nelson, would get some looks in the coming weeks as the Broncos try to replace Trevathan . Marshall took snapshots Trevathan on defense Tuesday.

"You hate to see him," said quarterback Peyton Manning. "Danny is an important part of our football team."

Trevathan had a scare in the week before the game last season against the Dallas Cowboys on October 6 he was taken off the field during practice after suffering a knee injury, but an MRI revealed no significant damage and played against the Cowboys.