Broncos to sign former All-Pro safety to a three-year deal

The Broncos are signing the three-year starter, 9News’ Mike Klis reports. Denver had been mentioned as a team pursuing Hufanga, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, even though it returns both of its 2024 safety starters. It would appear Hufanga will be in line to replace P.J. Locke alongside 2024 addition Brandon Jones in the Broncos’ starting lineup.

One of the top safeties available this offseason, Hufanga will not see his ACL tear and subsequent wrist injury cost him too much. His three-year Broncos deal can be worth up to $45M and includes $20M guaranteed. Hufanga’s contract betters Jones’; the ex-Dolphin is on the Broncos’ cap sheet on a three-year, $20M deal.

Denver is adding Hufanga ahead of his age-26 season and will hope the former fifth-round pick can remind of his 2022 form soon. Winning a starting job out of training camp that year, Hufanga intercepted four passes, forced two fumbles and posted two sacks for a top-five 49ers defense that season. Adding five TFLs that year, the USC product took one of his INTs back for a score. A year after cutting Justin Simmons, the Broncos have dived back into the safety market for help.

After a woeful 2023 start, Vance Joseph‘s unit has picked up the pieces. Jones was part of this effort last season, as Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 3 overall safety. 

Hufanga stands to be an upgrade on Locke, who had helped the 2023 Bronco edition rebound before not faring quite as well last season. Locke is tied to a two-year, $7M pact and could well slide back to the second-string role he played behind Simmons and Kareem Jackson prior to 2023. The Broncos could also save more than $4M by releasing Locke.

The 49ers had expressed interest in re-signing Hufanga, but they did see his injuries give Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha extensive playing time. San Francisco may opt to stay young at safety, especially as a big-ticket Brock Purdy extension looms. The Broncos will see Hufanga’s guarantees line up with Bo Nix‘s rookie contract.