DENVER — The Broncos’ Ironman is out. And Caden Sterns is up.
Justin Simmons suffered a quad injury in the Broncos’ Week 1 loss in Seattle. The team placed him on injured reserve Wednesday, meaning he’ll miss a minimum of four games. Sterns, a second-year pro, will take over at free safety for Simmons, who had started 66 consecutive games.
“Like I’ve said before, my job is to make sure there’s no fall-off behind Simmons,” Sterns said. “Communication, my play, my physicality — just making sure I do my part. We have some exceptional safeties now in Simmons and K-Jax, but I feel comfortable back there. I’m going to do the same thing as I did last year in that spot, just go in there, hold my own and make plays.”
Sterns, the team’s dime back in defensive sub-packages, is also the primary backup safety behind both Simmons and Jackson. With Sterns taking over for Simmons on Sunday against the Texans at Empower Field, P.J. Locke will play the dime.
Locke played a full game at the dime in the 2021 season finale against the Chiefs, and said “it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“I played a similar role in college (at Texas), because I played nickel so I played closer to the line of scrimmage all through college,” Locke said. “I know the defense very well too, and I’m familiar with this role.”
Head coach Nathaniel Hackett said Simmons’ injury occurred late in the second half Monday at Lumen Field.
“It’s hard to replace a guy like Justin Simmons, what he does for our defense and what he does for our team in the locker room with his leadership,” Kareem Jackson said. “It’s tough. Everybody in the community knows what type of guy he is.”
In response to Simmons’ injury, the Broncos signed veteran safety Anthony Harris to the practice squad. Harris, 30, is a seventh-year pro who spent six seasons in Minnesota when Broncos GM George Paton worked in the Vikings’ front office.
Harris appeared in 81 games for the Vikings, with 47 starts, and most recently played for the Eagles last year (72 tackles, three passes defensed and an interception in 14 starts).
The Broncos also promoted cornerback Essang Bassey to the active roster, taking Simmons’ spot.
