The Denver Broncos have dealt with a ton of injuries on defense this year, and are losing another starting player for multiple weeks. Safety Brandon Jones is being placed on injured reserve with a pec injury, which is expected to sideline him for the foreseeable future. He was one of Denver’s most underrated players and emerged as a key part of their defense with 78 tackles.
Broncos Lose Star Safety
Jones has been one of the most underrated players in all of football, and his absence leaves a massive hole in Denver’s secondary. Jones and Talanoa Hufanga have been one of the best safety duos this year, and now Hufanga will have to hold it down if/when Jones is ready to return.
PJ Locke is going to slot in as the starter alongside Hufanga and was the starting safety for the Broncos in 2024. Per Mike Klis of 9NEWS, Jones’ pec injury is more severe than Patrick Surtain’s pec injury. Jones is getting second opinions, and the hope is that he can avoid season-ending surgery, but that is a possibility. The good news is that the Broncos do have good safety depth with PJ Locke, Devon Key, and JL Skinner.
The good news is that Denver’s secondary played well even without Brandon Jones yesterday against the Green Bay Packers, and their remaining schedule doesn’t have much tough competition outside of the Jacksonville Jaguars. On Sunday, Denver will also be without Justin Strnad after he suffered an ankle injury early on in yesterday’s contest.
Will Denver Reunite With Justin Simmons?
I wouldn’t rule out a potential reunion between the Broncos and Justin Simmons. He was with the Broncos for eight seasons and knows Vance Joseph’s defense very well. It is well known that he is interested in returning to Denver and would likely sign a veteran minimum contract to finish out the season and make a playoff run with his former team.
If Jones is unable to return come playoff time, Simmons would fit perfectly in Denver’s current safety room. A cost-effective option who can immediately start for them is rare to find in a Free Agent so late in the season, but Denver has the perfect opportunity.
PJ Locke did play well in the win over the Green Bay Packers, so that George Paton could stick with the former Texas Longhorn at safety. Joseph has to battle through yet another injury, and has done a good job with the different personnel all season. The Broncos have a huge AFC matchup coming up on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who just blew out the New York Jets behind a six-touchdown performance from Trevor Lawrence.
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