The Denver Broncos will have defensive back PJ Locke back for the 2024 NFL season and beyond. The former Texas Longhorns defensive weapon has been signed by Denver to a two-year, $7 million contract, as reported by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
“Source: The #Broncos are bringing back one of their own, signing safety PJ Locke to a 2-year deal worth $7M base and a max value of $9M. Justin Simmons out, Locke is back.”
This move by the Broncos came just after the AFC West division franchise decided to move on from Justin Simmons.
Locke arrived in the NFL in 2019 when he was inked by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent. In December of the same year, Locke was added by the Broncos to their practice squad before getting waived the following year. The Broncos cut and signed Locke multiple times but finally landed a permanent deal in 2023, a one-year deal worth $1.4 million.
In the 2023 NFL season, Locke appeared in 12 games, including eight starts. He had an interception with five passes defended and two forced fumbles for the Broncos' defense which was one of the worst in the league. That season, the Broncos were 27th in the league with 24.3 points allowed per game and only 23rd with 233.6 passing yards surrendered per contest.
Locke got good grades from Pro Football Focus for his body of work in 2023, netting a 64.0 overall rating and a 74.8 grade on run defense. He also received a 93.3 pass rush grade. However, he was just 55.2 in terms of coverage.
In any case, Locke will have a golden opportunity to prove that the Broncos are right in handing him a multi-year contract, as he gets ready for an expanded role on defense in 2024.
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