Broncos S Brandon Jones Shares Insight on New Duo With Talanoa Hufanga

When former San Francisco 49ers All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency, the upgrade on the back end was as undeniable as it was tantalizing. 

In consecutive free agency windows, the Broncos have gotten far nastier at both safety positions, with the burgeoning expectation being that Hufanga can forge a destructive centerfield pairing with former Miami Dolphin Brandon Jones. Good chemistry and communication skills tend to define the truly great safety duos, and Jones feels things are already beginning to click between him and Hufanga. 

"It's been good. You would have thought we've been friends for all of our lives because of his vibe and how smart he is," Jones said of working alongside Hufanga. "We shared the same position coach in college, so we came in knowing each other. It's been really fun with his football I.Q. [He's] always asking questions and flying around the ball." 

Getting on the same page this early is one of the reasons well-run football operations covet the addition of savvy veterans at key spots whenever possible. Being able to work out what either player is doing and being in the right spot is everything for a safety, and Jones feels they already have a good understanding of what the other is doing from the get-go. 

"I would say both of us are really good at multi-tasking," Jones said of Hufanga. "We can do a lot of different things, whatever is asked of us. We can just have a lot of freedom and feel comfortable with whoever goes down in certain situations. We have a lot of faith and trust in each other. I think that goes a long way." 

Considering the sheer dollar amounts the Broncos have invested in both Jones and Hufanga, the mission at hand is to compete for a World Championship. Only time will tell whether it's the right investment, and Hufanga in particular will have to prove his injury concerns are firmly behind him, but Broncos GM George Paton's boldness has to be applauded. 

Pushing into a championship window will require both Jones and Hufanga to become almost household names around the state of Colorado, like Dennis Smith and Steve Atwater did back in the 1980s.  That places a significant amount of responsibility and pressure on their emerging partnership, especially when so much is expected of the Broncos' entire defense in 2025.

Regardless of the Broncos being put in the spotlight as a defense, Jones is unapologetic about his belief that they can handle the heightened levels of expectation. For Jones, it's as much about making improvements to their performances as it is guarding against complacency. 

"Every aspect. Like I said earlier, you get into trouble as soon as you get complacent," Jones said. "I think we are going to be as good as we want to be, and the sky is the limit. We know what we did last year and that feeds us going into this year with super big goals for us individually and as a unit. We just have to make the most of it."

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