Denver is facing a serious decision with safety Brandon Jones, who is absolutely crushing it through the first four games but is also in the final year of his contract for 2026. Everyone’s been so focused on whether the Broncos should extend cornerbacks Riley Moss or Ja’Quan McMillian, it seems like we all totally missed this bomb waiting to drop. The safety position for the Broncos is looking incredibly thin after this year, especially with Jones potentially leaving and Talanoa Hufanga, the other starter, entering his own contract year before 2028.
The Big Contract Question: Lock Down the Back End or Roll the Dice?
Honestly, the smart play here is to extend both Jones and Hufanga. Jones, at 28, is definitely hitting that “age wall” territory, but a three-year deal? That could totally work. He’s been playing “really good ball,” and the team is already “rather thin” behind the two starters. Just imagine if they lose him. What then? Hufanga is only 26 and he’s just hitting his prime. He’s already proved he belongs in Denver way beyond 2028. You’ve got two starters who “really do lock down the back end of that defense.” Why risk losing that stability for cap room, especially when the depth chart behind them is looking “scary?” The Broncos need to make safety a priority.
Early Season Jitters and the Road Ahead
So, the Broncos are somehow sitting at 2-2 after Week 4. You listen to the doomsayers and they’re screaming about a terrible offense, a terrible defense, and a QB who needs to be benched. But let’s be real, their opponents have a combined record of 13-3, including two 4-0 teams. Both losses were on the road, while both wins came at home. That’s a brutal early schedule, so 2-2 isn’t the end of the world. Head Coach Sean Payton, when asked about putting Pat Bryant or Pat Surtain II on injured reserve, was quick to shut that down, saying, “That’s jumping way ahead. I don’t think so, and if they were I wouldn’t say so, but I don’t think so.” He also addressed the talk around Bo Nix, saying, “No, listen and respectfully I understand. It’s hard for someone who just gets the All-22 and generally speaking, we’re all… Relative to the details of each play, that position’s performance will go up as we all are and the thing that I saw in the film was, yes, are there certain throws that from a timing standpoint he wants back? Yes. But I think collectively when you’re playing well on offense, you’re doing a lot of little things well, and then that job for him becomes somewhat easier. So that’s really the focus this week is t”
This Sunday, the Broncos are heading to LA to face the Chargers. They’re looking to bounce back from that 49ers loss and “hunt for their first divisional win.” Plus, they’ve got a chance to keep the Chargers winless. This is a crucial road game to keep the early season momentum going and prove they can win away from home against a division rival.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mile High Report.
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