Former Texas Longhorns Safety Rehabbing After Spinal Fusion Surgery

After going undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, former Texas Longhorns safety P.J. Locke earned his way into the NFL. Locke was waived from the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad originally but made the Denver Broncos 53-man roster after a stint on their practice squad.

Last year, Locke took a big step in his professional career, starting all 15 regular season games he played in for Denver and totaling 10 tackles in the Broncos' Wild Card Round loss to the Buffalo Bills.

But now, he is on a road to recovery.

P.J. Locke's surgery and rehab

Locke underwent spinal fusion surgery following Denver's Jan. 12 playoff game, he announced in a YouTube video titled "My Breakthrough" on Tuesday. The video, on Locke's personal channel, gives a look into his rehab process.

"Right after that playoff game, they told me, 'Let's go to the doctor and get another MRI on your back,'" Locke said. "As soon as I step foot out of the MRI, we get the results back and [they're] like, 'You need to get back surgery right now.'"

Locke dealt with back pain during the 2024 season as a result of a complete degeneration of a disc in his spine.

His spinal fusion surgery was one of the first done on an NFL player, with no guarantees that he would return to football. But with the progression in his recovery, he is in a position to make it back to the field and maintain a high level of play following the surgery.

Locke is expected to be a full participant in Broncos training camp, which starts on July 22. That development illustrates how well this rehab process has gone for Locke. If all stays on track, he may not miss a game due to the surgery.

"[We're] about five months out and it's been nothing short of a blessing, like a miracle," Locke said in the video. "I [don't have any] pain levels. Even the little bit of pain I do have from certain movements, [it's] nothing compared to what I was dealing with during the season at all. So I feel like it's just been a miracle, feels like it's been a breakthrough that I've been praying for."

With Locke's injury, the Broncos brought in Talanoa Hufanga from the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. Hufanga is likely to be the starting strong safety, but Locke's return could mean a position battle for the spot.

Locke is entering the second and final year in his two-year deal with the Broncos.