Broncos S P.J. Locke Dishes on 'Challenge' of Replacing Simmons & Jackson

The Denver Broncos are asking a lot of P.J. Locke this year.

Jul 26, 2024; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) and safety P.J. Locke (6) during training camp at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The safety position may be one of the biggest questions the Denver Broncos have to find answers to after parting ways with Pro Bowl player Justin Simmons and switching to a younger group with less experience. P.J. Locke is one of those players who will be expected to step up and play a bigger role on the defense.

The 27-year-old Locke has started just eight games in his four-year career but impressed enough last season to earn a two-year, $7 million contract from the Broncos this past offseason. Not only is Simmons gone, but so is longtime veteran Kareem Jackson, who spent the past four-and-a-half seasons with the Broncos.

Locke now finds himself in a leadership position in the safety room — and as he discussed following Thursday's practice, it's a role he's learning to take on.

“Those guys, Kareem and Justin, they set the standard in the room. It was the reason we were pretty much always good on defense—since I’ve been here," Locke said. "My job right now is to say, ‘Hey, I’m not them, first of all, but they gave me a blueprint.’ It’s my job to go in and figure out any type of way—my own way—to uphold that standard. That’s a challenge, but at the same time I know what comes with that.”

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Simmons and Jackson accomplished a lot in their careers, and while Jackson was getting older and Simmons had slow starts to his most recent seasons, both have big shoes to fill. Locke will now be called upon to prove he can be the starter over a 17-game season.

Locke discussed what some people might not understand about the safety position. It's about more than racking up interceptions or shutting down receivers; it's also about being a key leader on the defense.

"I think we’re the quarterback of the defense," Locke said. "We make a lot of calls and we get the linebackers straight. A lot of stuff is dictated off of what we call. I think people don’t really realize that, but playing in space also. You also have to be a corner, you have to be able to come up and hit, you have to be able to fit the run and then make split-second decisions because it’s a lot of play-action."

Locke laid out all the responsibilities of a competent NFL safety.

"You have to be able to fit the run and then be able to panic drop at the same time and get your eyes back to the field to see some crossers, or help the corner, or in-routes and stuff like that," he continued. "People don’t understand that, but it’s a lot of split-second decisions."

A lot does go into the position, so Locke will have a big task ahead of him. The same applies to Brandon Jones, whom the Broncos signed as a free agent from the Miami Dolphins to a three-year, $20M contract. Jones is out for a couple of weeks because of a hamstring injury.

Locke and Jones will get some help from some younger safeties, such as JL Skinner and Caden Sterns. Skinner, a 2023 sixth-round pick, was considered raw in terms of his development coming out of college, but Locke said the second-year player has made progress.

"“You can just tell he [Skinner] is just so much more confident," Locke said. "He’s trusting himself. It’s his second year in ‘VJ’ [Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph]’s system, and that’s normally when things start to click. You can just tell. The communication on his part, he’s seeing things before they happen. So I’m excited for JL because he can play.”

Jul 28, 2023; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos safety JL Skinner (34) during training camp at Centura Health Training Center. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Sterns, meanwhile, has missed the bulk of the past two seasons because of injuries. The good news is that Sterns has been activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and started practicing this week. Locke is happy to see Sterns back in action.

“That’s my brother. I’m so happy just to have him back," Locke said. "He’s an awesome player. He’s a ball hawk, he’s smart and he’s a team player. That’s another guy I just feel super confident [in] being [to] the side of me.”

While there are reasons to question how good the Broncos' safety group will be, there can be room for optimism. Sterns showed his potential as a rookie and Locke has done good things in his time with the Broncos. The question now is how Locke will fare in an expanded role.

Again, there will be big shoes to fill now that longtime veterans like Simmons and Jackson are gone. But if Locke can rise to the occasion, a position that some might consider a question mark could quickly become a position of strength.

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