P.J. Locke Gushes Over New Broncos DBs Coach Jim Leonhard

Jim Leonhard has been in Denver only a hot minute and he's already making waves among the players.

Nov 26, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos safety P.J. Locke (6) celebrates his sack against the Cleveland Browns in the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time in years, the Denver Broncos will line up without the veteran safety duo of Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson in 2024. Their stable leadership could be sorely missed.

Bridging the gap while the Broncos transition to new faces, like free-agent acquisition Brandon Jones, means more responsibility will rest on the shoulders of 27-year-old P.J. Locke. Having spent time under the nurturing wing of Simmons and Jackson, Locke will get his chance to cement his place as a starter moving forward after the Broncos re-signed him to a two-year, $9 million deal this past offseason.

Given the absence of his onfield mentors, Locke sounds extremely thankful for the guidance new Broncos defensive backs coach Jim Leonhard will provide this coming season.

"You can see I kind of lit up a little bit. It's awesome," Locke said of Leonhard last week. "Since he has gotten here, I've been in consistent communication with him about just different things that I can work on. It's crazy the different things that I can work on. It's crazy the different things he brings to the table and just having that background. He's taught me some things that I didn't really know about. I think he is going to help take everyone's game to the next level with what he brings to the table."

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It's no secret that Leonhard is going places fast, so the Broncos will probably find themselves in the same spot they occupied when former assistants, like Ejiro Evero and Christian Parker, both decided to move on. How players respond to losing trusted coaches and how they adapt to the teachings of their replacements tends to say a lot about the character of an individual.

Thankfully, Locke is a coachable player who thrives under guidance from his coaches, including Sean Payton. 

"I have the utmost respect for Coach Payton," Locke said. "We had plenty of talks about just my journey getting to the NFL. (Laughing) He can [talk] too and he has a story for everything. Everything I say he has a story behind it. He just gave me some confidence that he has confidence in me. That goes a long way with me. When a coach has confidence in me, it gives me a boost of energy and confidence in myself. When I play confident, I'm dangerous."

Locke's convoluted NFL journey is a credit to his coachability and his ability to find unique sources of motivation. Being cut previously by both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Broncos helped mold Locke into a resilient player. 

Having served time as a special teams ace and backup safety has taught Locke that there's great merit in learning all the facets of his craft. And there's value in playing with a chip.

"I feel like I still have a chip on my shoulder," Locke said. "I have some personal goals that I'm not going to discuss that I want to accomplish. Those are the things that keep me hungry and I still have the mindset of proving it to myself. There is no slack cut as if whether I have stability or not. It's all intrinsic motivation for me."

As Locke enters the next phase of his career, his new two-year contract won't allow him to lose focus. Despite some overtures from other teams, Locke knew the draw to sign again with the Broncos was too strong to resist. 

"It's awesome," Locke said of returning to the team. "I'm grateful for it. This is where I wanted to be. I had some offers and stuff like that and it came down to this is where I wanted to be."

Positive coaching from Leonhard and Payton will be close at hand during this campaign, but without Simmons and Jackson to rely upon, it's time for Locke to earn his spurs fully. It bodes well for Locke that coach Payton passionately believes in his guy to such an extent that he feels there is a project really worth investing his time in.

"Last season, I think he began to create that vision for himself, to his credit," Payton said. "[He was] closer to the ball as a pressure player, also in coverage. [It is] great to see him out there healthy. I think he earned some of those snaps and the confidence level for him. He's one of the players when I talk about, 'You see confidence through demonstrated.' He saw it and felt it and then we saw it. It's pretty powerful. He's smart and he's tough. "

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