Broncos Blow Up Safety Room: Hufanga’s Monster Deal Rockets Denver’s Secondary to Elite Status!

It wasn't that long ago that the Denver Broncos made Justin Simmons one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL. However, the Broncos decided to part ways with Simmons as he entered the final year of the four-year deal he signed back in 2021.

Going into 2025, the Broncos aren't committing as much money to a single safety but they are committing a significant sum. Of course, part of that comes as the Broncos have quarterback Bo Nix on an inexpensive rookie contract.

We've examined multiple positions on the Broncos' defense, but how do things look at safety as far as cap and cash commitments? Here's the breakdown of Denver's most notable safeties.

Talanoa Hufanga

• 2025 cap hit: $3.41M
• 2025 cash commitment: $10M

The Broncos gave Hufanga a three-year, $39M contract in free agency. The Broncos are effectively committed to the former San Francisco 49ers safety through 2026, unless they trade him, so there is risk to the deal given to a talented player who has missed some time with injuries.

Hufanga is due an $11M base salary in 2026 and $1M in per-game roster bonuses. If the Broncos don't trade him next season, they will have paid him $22M over two seasons.

Hufanga has an option bonus due in 2027, but that money isn't guaranteed, allowing the Broncos to move on if they wish. He can also earn $6M in incentives over the three years of the contract.

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Brandon Jones

• 2025 cap hit: $9.05M
• 2025 cash commitment: $7.25M

The Broncos signed Jones in free agency last season to replace Simmons. Jones hadn't started that many games with the Miami Dolphins, but he proved to be a quality signing after playing well in 2024.

Jones has just $4.255M remaining in fully guaranteed salary, though given his strong play in 2024, he'll certainly collect the remainder of the money he's due this season.

The Broncos have the ability to move on from Jones in 2026 if they wish. However, another strong season in 2025 means he'll stick around — and that his deal becomes a true bargain among safeties.

P.J. Locke

• 2025 cap hit: $5.19M
• 2025 cash commitment: $4.25M

After showing some promise in 2023 when he stepped into the starting lineup, the Broncos gave Locke a two-year extension. He wasn't terrible last season but he didn't play as well as expected.

Locke has no more guaranteed money left in his deal and is a player to watch as a potential training camp cut, should other safeties perform just as well as him. To be sure, there's no guarantee that he will be a training camp cut.

However, it may not make sense to commit $4.25M to a depth or rotational player. We'll see how things go in training camp and the preseason.

Other Notable Safeties

As for those competing for the final spots on the depth chart, they're all players on cheaper salaries. Some of them don't even count against the cap at this time, as they fall under the top 51 cutoff that takes effect during the offseason.

Among the notable players are 2022 fifth-round pick Delarrin Turner-Yell ($985K cash commitment, $1.068M cap hit), 2023 sixth-round pick JL Skinner ($1.03M cash commitment, $1.079M cap hit), and Devon Key ($960K cap hit and cash commitment). All have done well on special teams, and Key was solid as a rotational player last season.

If two of these safeties have a good showing in training camp, the Broncos could opt to cut Locke and let them take on the backup spots. There's a chance that all three could make the roster ahead of Locke, given what they bring to special teams.

What it All Means

Assuming Locke makes the final roster, the Broncos will be committing $17.65M in cap space to the safety position and $21.5M in cash commitments to three players. If Locke is a training camp cut, the Broncos will commit less in cap and cash, even if Turner-Yell, Skinner and Key all make the final roster.

The Broncos are in a good position for 2025 because they have the cap flexibility available to keep Locke if necessary, but have players with the potential to step in for him if the team decides to move on.

If Locke does make the final cut, he'll certainly be allowed to move on in 2026, as the Broncos will want younger players to fill out the depth chart. That could mean the Broncos draft a safety in 2026.

However, should the younger safeties prove their worth, the Broncos wouldn't need to worry too much about drafting a safety next year. They would at least have Key and Skinner on cheap deals.

The one thing Broncos fans should keep in mind is that they will be committed to Hufanga for the next two seasons unless he's traded. If Jones plays well again, he'll be back next season.

We'll switch back to offense for our next installment, then circle back to two positions at which certain draft picks haven't yet signed their deals, though we do have a good idea about what they will be paid.