Broncos Hoping for the Best but Can't Trust S Caden Sterns in 2024

Safety Caden Sterns was an early darling for fans after what he did as a part-time player for the Denver Broncos as a 2021 rookie. There was a lot to like about him leading up to the NFL draft, where multiple analysts had him as a late-second-rounder to a late third-round player, and the Broncos landed him in the fifth round with the No. 152 overall pick. 

Despite beginning his career behind Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson, Sterns swiftly earned the third safety spot. In Denver's Week 4 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Sterns made a significant impact, playing seven snaps and delivering two sacks and a pass breakup. His effectiveness in such limited playing time was truly impressive. 

As a part-time rookie player, Sterns played 311 snaps outside of two starts, picking up two sacks, two interceptions, and two passes broken up. He looked good in his two starts, and by season's end, he looked ready to take over for Jackson in 2022. 

Sterns didn’t win the job but he didn’t lose it either. The Broncos coaches decided to rotate between Jackson and Sterns, though that didn’t last long due to injuries in the safety room. In Week 2, Sterns started against the Houston Texans and played terribly, including two missed tackles. 

It was back to being a rotational piece in Week 3, where Sterns didn’t play much better. He was back as the starter for Week 4 and was better than he was in the previous two, but he didn't show what fans saw in his limited playing time as a rookie. 

That all changed in Denver's Week 5 game, where Sterns was one of the best players on the field for either team. He was consistently in the right place in coverage, which led to two interceptions and a pass breakup. It seemed like the highlight of his young career, but it ended up being the low point. 

Sterns suffered a hip injury that sidelined him for the rest of the 2022 season. The season was over for him right when he started to get into a groove and was ready to step up and show his potential.

Ultimately, Sterns played 274 snaps on defense over the first five games, and his career totaled 585 snaps. That isn’t ideal for how much faith was placed in him, but it wasn't terrible after two seasons. 

Entering the 2023 season, Sterns was set to retake a starting job, but that didn’t happen. Again, he was the third safety behind Simmons and Jackson. Before the Broncos could get anything going, Sterns went down on the second snap of the opener and was done for the season. 

Bottom Line

As he enters the final year of his deal, Sterns has played 587 snaps on defense, which is well below what you want from a player with such high hopes. Whether he can make the roster after missing an entire season and three-quarters of another in question. By the time of the 2024 season opener, Sterns will have played two snaps in 703 days. 

There is some competition at safety, with P.J. Locke and Brandon Jones pushing for the starting job. JL Skinner and Delarrin Turner-Yell are there to compete for the depth spots.

Entering a contract year, if Sterns returns and hasn’t lost a step, he could easily have a place in the Broncos safety room, but after the injuries and time missed, where is he with his conditioning and ability? Even then, it could be hard to place too much trust in Sterns, given how little he has played over his rookie contract, and that will affect his potential contract after this season.