Our dive into celebrating Denver Broncos history continues, as we examine the top three players to ever rock the No. 6 jersey. In case this is your first read of our series, these top three rankings are heavily weighted by Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value metric, but it's not the only consideration.
Some excellent players have sported the No. 6 in Broncos history. Without further ado, let's dive in.
Jay Cutler | QB | 2006-08
Cutler was drafted in the first round in 2006 by then-head coach Mike Shanahan, and it was a controversial pick to say the least. Jake Plummer had led the Broncos to three straight playoff berths, and was coming off his most effective season yet, leading the team to the AFC Championship Game.
Alas, Plummer chose the worst possible stage to produce one of his ugliest games, and the Broncos were upset at home by Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who would go on to win the Super Bowl. Shanahan wanted a Plummer exit strategy, although it was a bit early.
Instead of using that first-round pick on a player to help Plummer get over the hump, it went to a quarterback who would eventually supplant the veteran later that year. None of those factors were Cutler's consideration, and it certainly wasn't his fault that Shanahan drafted him.
Cutler took over a Plummer-led team in 2006 that was leading the AFC West at the time. The Broncos would end up missing the playoffs, though Cutler flashed at times, showcasing that Howitzer of a right arm of his.
Plummer exited the Mile High City the following offseason, giving Cutler the full reign as the QB1. 2007 would go on to be a rather forgettable year for Cutler and the Broncos, with the young quarterback dealing with some odd health issues that were later identified as type 1 diabetes.
Once Cutler got that figured out, he was off to the races, and just in time to (hopefully) save Shanahan's job. Cutler did his part in 2008, turning in an excellent season on the way to earning his first and only Pro Bowl selection, passing for 4,526 yards and 25 touchdowns, with 18 interceptions.
Alas, the Broncos would only win eight games and late Broncos owner Pat Bowlen would make the difficult and fateful decision to fire Shanahan, the winningest coach in team history and the only one to bring home a Lombardi Trophy. Shanahan won back-to-back Super Bowls a decade prior.
Still, the future looked bright in Denver with a young franchise quarterback coming off a Pro Bowl campaign. Then Bowlen hired Josh McDaniels to succeed Shanahan, and the young upstart head coach got caught exploring trade possibilities for Matt Cassell, which Cutler caught wind of.
Cutler called McDaniels out on the carpet and the head coach admitted he'd explored the possibility of trading him. Cutler demanded a trade, and McDaniels obliged him, serving as a horrible harbinger of what was to come.
Cutler would be dealt to the Chicago Bears in exchange for multiple first-round picks, and he would go on to play eight seasons in the Windy City. His last year in the NFL was in 2017 with the Miami Dolphins before he retired.
Broncos fans will always wonder what would have happened had the Broncos not drafted Cutler in 2006 and whether Plummer could have gotten over the aforementioned hump. Fans will wonder even more what the Football Fates would have offered the Broncos had McDaniels appreciated the talented young quarterback he inherited and Cutler stuck around.
McDaniels was fired before his second season as head coach was up. His two-year head-coaching tenure was one of the most embarrassing in Broncos history.
Bubby Brister | QB | 1997-99
Without Bubby Brister, the Broncos maybe don't win back-to-back Super Bowls. Signed in 1997 to be a failsafe for an aging John Elway, the Broncos had to call Brister's number in 1998.
Elway went down with a knee injury that kept him out four games, and Brister stepped into the breach, leading the Broncos to a perfect 4-0. Elway stepped back in and the Broncos would go all the way and successfully defend their World Championship in Super Bowl XXXIII, vanquishing Dan Reeves and the Atlanta Falcons.
Elway would ride off into the sunset. Brister would return as the backup to the second-year Brian Griese, whom Shanahan had initially tapped to be Elway's successor.
A Steelers third-round pick in 1987, Brister would produce a 14-year NFL career, finishing with two Super Bowl rings and a 37-38 record as a starter.
P.J. Locke | S | 2019-Present
Going undrafted out of Texas in 2019, Locke originally signed with the Steelers but was waived at the final roster cut-downs. The Broncos signed him to the practice squad.
Locke initially wore the No. 37, but switched to No. 6 in 2022. His breakout year as a Bronco was in 2023, where he spelled the oft-suspended Kareem Jackson as the team's starting strong safey.
The Broncos liked him enough to sign Locke to a two-year, $7 million extension the following offseason. He would serve as Denver's starter next to Brandon Jones in 2024, turning in a solid if unspectacular season.
The Broncos like Locke as the third safety, but looked to upgrade the starter role next to Jones. Denver signed former San Francisco 49ers All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga this past spring, relegating Locke back to the No. 3 role, which is where he's thrived as a pro.
