On Monday, the Broncos placed defensive end Jason Hunter on injured reserve.

Hunter injured his triceps in training camp practice on Aug. 14, an injury that required surgery.

“It’s hurtful to lose Jason Hunter,” linebacker Wesley Woodyard said at the time. “He’s one of those guys that has a motor every day. Our coaches joke with him — he’s one of those guys that gets excited driving to work. He’s in the parking lot ready. ‘Let’s go! Let’s go!’”

Hunter had worked his way into the starting lineup through his efforts in training camp, and Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio said he felt bad for the veteran defensive lineman.

“Certainly, he approached things the way I like it: tough, physical, and when you’re talking about people who play in the trenches for us, that’s what we’re looking for,” he said.

In his career, Hunter has played in 88 games — starting 23 — and totaled 128 tackles, 11 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries.

By 2 p.m. MDT today, the Broncos roster must reach an NFL-mandated 75 players. With Hunter moving to IR, the team currently has 87 players on the active roster. The full list of transactions will be released later today.

-Gray Caldwell