The Denver Broncos made some adjustments to their secondary this offseason, adding both first round nickel corner, Jahdae Barron, and free agent All-Pro safety, Talanoa Hufanga.
But the reason for the acquisition of the latter, who received a three year deal worth up to a total of $45 million from the Broncos this offseason, could have had more to do with the situation of last year’s starter, PJ Locke, whose job Hufanga could well end up taking in 2025, than previously considered.
In a YouTube video posted last week, Locke explained that the process that he went through immediately after the team’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills this past January.
PJ Locke Could Make History After Remarkable Recovery From Offseason Back Injury
“Right after that playoff game when they told me, ‘Let’s go to the doctor and get another MRI’.” Locke said last week, “As soon as I stepped foot out of the MRI, we get the results back and they like, ‘You gotta get back surgery right now’.
As subsequently covered by DNVR Sports’ Zac Stevens, Locke then revealed he had to get a spinal transfusion between the third and fourth vertebrates.
P.J. Locke recently reveled he had a very serious and rare back surgery in the offseasonâ¦
Weâve got the details.
What does it mean for him and the defense?
Weâre breaking it down starting NOW!ðhttps://t.co/EGcKl8p7g5
â Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) July 7, 2025
If he manages to play after this, Denver’s starting safety from 2024 would be the first player to return to football after this type of injury – a pretty momentous feat for a player who is not exactly a prime-headline maker on an up-and-coming Broncos team.
How Could Locke Contribute To The Broncos In 2025?
Given that he is still on the road to recovery at this point in time, and Hufanga remains the incumbent starter alongside former third round pick for the Dolphins, Brandon Jones, it’s potentially unlikely we’ll see Locke as the main man on the back end of Denver’s defense come week one.
But #3 safeties are often included in nickel, dime and dollar packages, particularly on a defense that has a lack of solid cornerback depth.
And, it seems like he is making legitimate progress, as he spoke about how his pain has reduced over the past few months in his day-to-day life.
“We’re about five months out and it’s been nothing short of a blessing, like a miracle. I’ve got no pain levels,” Locke said in the video, “Even, like, the little bit of pain I do have from certain movements is nothing compared to what I was dealing with during the season, at all. So I feel like, man, it’s just been a miracle. I feel like it’s been a breakthrough I’ve been praying for.”
It is not clear at this point what his status will be for training camp, which commences in the next few weeks in late July. But any sort of play on Locke’s end this upcoming season would be pretty incredible and groundbreaking, given his very tempestuous, injury-ridden offseason.
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