The Broncos are awaiting news on the severity of a pectoral injury to starting safety Brandon Jones.
The 27-year-old safety has been one of Denver’s most reliable defensive players since signing as a free agent in the spring of 2024.
Jones played every snap of the first half Sunday against Green Bay, but after halftime was ruled out of the remainder of the game with the injury.
It’s unclear exactly when the sixth-year pro was injured, though he was involved in back-to-back big collisions in the middle of the field as the Packers mounted a last-minute drive that ended in a field goal before halftime.
Jones in the second half was replaced by veteran P.J. Locke, a former University of Texas teammate of Jones and a regular starter for Denver in 2024.
“It’s the next man up mentality,” Locke told The Post after Denver’s 34-26 win. “It’s a tough situation and I really pray it’s not as bad as what it sounds like. Hopefully he gets some good news in the morning when he gets his MRI.
“He’s an awesome player, man. It’s hard to replace him.”
Locke started 15 games at safety for Denver last year but was bumped out of the lineup in the spring when the Broncos signed free agent Talanoa Hufanga to a three-year deal. Also this offseason, Locke had spinal fusion surgery to try to eliminate what at times last year became debilitating back and nerve pain.
In the first 13 games this season, he’d played a total of 14 defensive snaps. Then Sunday he logged 34 in place of Jones.
Head coach Sean Payton didn’t address Jones’ injury Monday but said Locke played, “good. I thought real well. Real well. He’s played a lot of football.”
Jumping back in isn’t easy for Locke, who has been a regular on special teams with 196 snaps in that department this season, but he’s used to it.
“That’s kind of been how — being an undrafted guy and trying to work my way up — that’s how I got my opportunities to play last year,” he said. “Just always being ready.”
The Broncos defense was up to the challenge without Jones in the second half. They allowed just 111 yards overall and 32 passing yards after surrendering 251 yards
“Our biggest thing is just mixing up coverages and making it hard on the quarterback. We’ve got an elite rush so we’ve got to let them boys go eat. We put the pressure on the secondary to go cover these good receivers and we stepped up to the plate.”
Now the question is if Jones can return quickly or if Locke will be in the lineup for the stretch run. It’s not the first pec injury the Broncos have dealt with in the secondary this year, of course. Reigning NFL defensive player of the year Pat Surtain II missed three games and took five weeks of recovery to get back from what he described as a partially torn pec.
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Strnad leg-whipped. If inside linebacker Justin Strnad is forced to miss time with an ankle injury he sustained as he tried to run down on punt coverage in the first quarter Sunday, he’ll be all the more frustrated by how it happened.
If Justin Strnad’s ankle injury causes him to miss time, this will make it all the more frustrating. Packers DL Colby Wooden grabbed LS Mitch Fraboni by the helmet and threw him down.
Strnad got basically leg whipped on the process. pic.twitter.com/q2GOa7UADL
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) December 15, 2025
Packers defensive lineman Colby Wooden rushed up the middle but then grabbed Denver long-snapper Mitch Fraboni by the helmet and threw him to the ground. Fraboni got thrown right into Strnad and through his left leg, causing Strnad to collapse and grab immediately at his left lower leg.
Strnad threw his helmet in disgust as trainers attended to him on the ground.
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