The Broncos had to make do without Brandon Jones at the end of last season; a pectoral-muscle injury suffered in Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers felled him and sidelined him for the stretch run and the postseason.
And while Locke played well enough to answer questions about his neck — earning a larger deal with the Dallas Cowboys that will put him back into the starting lineup on a full-time basis — Jones’ absence was noticeable.
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“I can’t say necessarily that we missed (Jones) because I don’t want to discredit PJ and what he did for us, because he stepped up in a huge way as well,” Jones’ safety partner, Talanoa Hufanga, said earlier this month.
“But what Brandon does bring is just the energy. It’s the juice. It’s a guy that flies to the ball.”
The Broncos could have saved $7.41 million of cap space had they moved on from Jones in the offseason, leaving just $1.833 million of dead money. But given how well Jones has played, there was no reason to do so. And even though he’ll play the 2026 season on a cap figure of over $9 million for the second-consecutive year, the Broncos have gotten more than their money’s worth out of Jones’ three-year, $20 million deal.
BRONCOS FOUND IDEAL COMBINATION WITH HUFANGA AND JONES LAST YEAR
Last year, opposing quarterbacks averaged a 67.1 passer rating when throwing in his direction, per SportRadar — the best such figure of his career. He followed up a season with 10 passes defensed in 2024 with seven over 14 games in 2025; overall, he now has more passes defensed in two Broncos seasons (17) than four Miami campaigns (9).
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Jones’ work ethic has something to do with it.
“I’m telling you, nobody understands, he’s here at like, 4:45 every day, and he’s legit,” Hufanga said. “He’s swimming in the morning.
“He e might be swimming in the pool at like, 4:15. And nobody’s realized those aspects of what a great teammat, he is and the character aspect, but his energy and the juice and the ability to fly around and be fearless, that’s what he brings.”
Jones ranks 28th in the NFL in average per-year contract value, per OvertheCap. Hufanga’s contract is 15th; his average-per-year value of $13 million is nearly double that of Jones.
The question now is this: Would the Broncos want to bring Jones up to Hufanga’s level with an extension? Or will they cast their lot with one of the younger developmental options, such as Devon Key — a pending restricted free gent — JL Skinner — who himself is in a contract year — or rookie seventh-rounder Miles Scott.
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